Indonesian navy taking down ‘mysterious’ sea fence that sparked reclamation debate


The mysterious bamboo fence stretching for 30km in the coastal waters of Tangerang, Banten has been an object of scrutiny after pictures and videos of it went viral on social media for its “mysterious” origin. - Antara

JAKARTA: The Indonesian Navy is taking down a sea fence of unexplained origin installed in the coastal waters of Tangerang, Banten, that has sparked a debate about the issue of unlicensed marine reclamation.

A group of 600 people, consisting of Navy officers and coastal residents, began dismantling the 30-kilometre-long bamboo fence on Saturday (Jan 18), following orders from President Prabowo Subianto, the Navy said in a statement.

The bamboo fence has been an object of scrutiny since earlier this year, after pictures and videos of it went viral on social media for its “mysterious” origin.

Nobody seemed to know who built it or why it had been built in the first place.

An investigation by the Indonesian Marine Police and the Banten Maritime Affairs Office in September 2024 found that the fence was illegal because it did not have the required marine spatial utilisation activity (KKPRL) licence, the Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Ministry said on Jan 9.

The ministry closed off the fence on the same day. But the social media buzz continued, with users taking issue with the unlicensed structure and how it had reportedly impeded fisherfolk’s access to the sea.

The President then ordered the fence’s demolition and a search for the culprit, according to a senior member of Prabowo’s own Gerindra Party last week. The Navy said it would take several days to take down the bamboo fence and that it planned to remove 2km of fencing a day.

“We will continue doing so [until the entire fence is removed] because that will help fisherfolk earn a living,” Jakarta Main Naval Base (Lamtamal) commander Brig Gen Harry Indarto said in a statement on Saturday.

But Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Minister Sakti Wahyu Trenggono opposed the Navy’s dismantling of the fence.

“Such evidence must not be taken down before we know who is responsible,” Sakti said on Sunday, kompas.com reported.

Early this month, a group called Jaringan Rakyat Pantura (north coast people’s network) claimed responsibility for installing the barrier, saying local communities had funded and erected it to prevent further coastal erosion.

But some observers doubted whether the network could have pooled enough money for the project and said the complaints from local fisherfolk raised doubts about the claim the fence was community-backed.

The minister said he had summoned representatives of the group for questioning but they had yet to answer the summons.

Some have speculated that private property giant Agung Sedayu Group, which is currently developing nearby real estate megaproject Pantai Indah Kapuk (PIK) 2, is behind the fence.

An investigative report by Tempo on Sunday found that two residents had allegedly built the fence under the supervision of a person close to Agung Sedayu Group chairman Sugianto Kusuma.

But Agung Sedayu Group’s legal representative, Muannas Alaidid, said on Jan 12 that the company had nothing to do with the sea fence and claimed a group of fishermen had “admitted to being the ones” who built it, Tempo reported.

Muannas was referring to Jaringan Rakyat Pantura, which claimed credit for the fence a day before Alaidid’s response. PIK 2 corporate secretary Christy Grassela did not immediately respond to The Jakarta Post’s request for comment on Sunday.

Fisheries and marine science lecturer Zuzy Anna of Padjadjaran University said the construction of a sea fence required a clear purpose, such national defense or biodiversity protection, for a permit to be issued.

“Such a fence should not receive a permit if its purpose is not clear. Was it for reclamation? If so, is there a reclamation permit?” she told the Post on Sunday.

Zuzy criticised the slow response of the government, questioning how the illegal installation “could go unchecked under the eyes of the authorities for so long”.

Some fishermen reportedly notified the Banten Marine and Fisheries Service about the fence as early as May 2023, when it was half a kilometre long, Tempo reported.

The fence was 7km in length as of August of last year. But it remains unclear how it managed to reach 30 km since. Furthermore, no attempts were made to halt the fence’s construction amid the investigation by the Indonesian Marine Police and the Banten Maritime Affairs Office in September of last year. - The Jakarta Post/ANN

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