Bangka Island is a small island located off the northeastern tip of Sulawesi, Indonesia. Bangka is known for its unspoiled beaches and dive tourism. It belongs administratively to the district of East Likupang in the North Minahasa regency, North Sulawesi province. The island has three main coastal villages: Lihunu, Kahuku, and Libas. Controversy exists over a Chinese company's development of an iron ore mining facility on the island, as the company's permits were revoked by Indonesian courts.
Geography
Bangka is located in the western Pacific Ocean, between the Celebes Sea (Indonesian: Laut Sulawesi) to the west and the Molucca Sea to the east. Bangka is southwest of Biaro Island, separated by the Bangka Passage. Just west of Bangka are the islands of Kinabohutan, Talisei, Tindila, and Gangga.
Bangka has an area of 4,778 hectares. The geographical faces of the island include forests, hills, coconut plantations, rocky outcrops, mangroves and pristine beaches.
The largest village is Lihunu, followed by Kahuku and Libas.
Economy
Local commerce involves selling fish and agricultural products such as coconuts, copra, cloves, maize and vegetables. Some locals are also employed by the island's five eco-tourism ventures, which specialize in diving and snorkeling. Tourism: Bangka's popularity as international tourism destination has increased since its first dive resort was opened in 1987. Most of the sandy beaches and coral reefs attractive to tourists are located at the southwestern and southern parts of the island. The northern coastline is rockier and its waters contain more seagrass than spectacular coral.
Demography
Most residents are from the Sangihe-Siao ethnic group. According to the 2000 census, the population of the island's three villages totaled 2,649 (Lihunu 1,162, Kahuku 983 and Libas 504). In 2010 the population of the villages had declined to 2,397 (Lihunu 1,029, Kahuku 938 and Libas 430). Other residents live outside the villages and at the five resorts.
Most of the population is split between those who work as fishermen and those who work as farmers. Other islanders work as civil servants, teachers, on resorts or other occupations.
Environment
Small-scale clearing of forest has taken place for several decades, leaving just grass cover on parts of the hilly interior. The island's land also includes forests, orchards, shrubs, and coconut plantations. Mangroves cover just 1.98% (58.7 hectares) of the island. Part of the island's mangrove forests and coral reefs were destroyed after a Chinese mining company in 2014 began developing an iron ore mine, despite its permits being revoked by Indonesian courts.
Ecologically, Bangka and its waters contain an abundance of biodiversity. Land animals include Javanese deer (Rusa timorensis), tarsier (Carlito syrichta - a nocturnal arboreal primate), common cuscus (Phalanger orientalis), Asian water monitor lizard (Varanus salvator) and wild boar (Sus scrofa). There are many coral reefs that attract tropical fish species, such as Napoleon fish, frogfish, pygmy seahorses and nudibranchs, as well as dugongs: a species of protected marine mammal. Dugongs are known to dwell and feed in waters off the island's coast. Also present is a species of tubular marine sponge, the Petrosia nigricans, from which four new purine derivatives have been isolated.
Bangka Island is located close to Bunaken Marine National Park, a popular marine-based international tourism destination. Bangka does not have protected marine park status. The area around Bangka lies on a whale migration path.
Mining controversy
The Regent of North Minahasa, Sompie Singal, in 2008 issued a permit to PT Mikgro Metal Perdana (PT MMP), a subsidiary of the Hong Kong-based Aempire Resource Group, to explore for iron ore on Bangka. The Regent twice extended the permit: first on 20 July 2010, and then again on 20 July 2012. The concession area covered 2,000 hectares and the 2012 extension was broadened to cover "iron ore and other minerals". Many Bangka residents and the local tourism operators opposed the mining plan, fearing a full-scale mining operation and pollution would devastate the island's fragile ecosystem and destroy traditional livelihoods and eco-tourism. Residents and the tourism operators sued the Regent and PT MMP in an effort to prevent the mining. Their lawsuit was partly based on the fact that Bangka is defined as a small island under Law No.27/2007 on the Management of Coastal Areas and Small Islands. This law states that mining is illegal on islands smaller than 2,000 km2. Bangka has a surface area of just about 48 km2.