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Paradise Lost? New concerns over Nickel mining in Raja Ampat.
A new Greenpeace investigation reveals the extent of Nickel mining plans in the Four Kings. Here’s a summary of the main findings:
- A total of 16 nickel mining licenses have been issued across the archipelago, comprising 5 active licenses and 11 that had been previously cancelled or expired.
- Two previously cancelled/expired licenses were re-issued in 2025.
- Three other previously cancelled/expired licenses are subject to company legal action for reactivation.
- There is a previously issued license for nickel mining on the Fam Islands where the famous tourist destination Piaynemo/Jokowi is located.
- There are plans for nickel and steel smelters with links to nickel mining in Raja Ampat, to be built at Sorong. Sorong sits at the western tip of New Guinea, itself a biodiversity hotspot, and the arrival point for tourists visiting the Four Kings.
For more information on this worrisome development, go here.