Indonesia Unveils New National Park - W. Its Own Nickel & Cobalt Mine

JAKARTA, Indonesia, November 12, 2004 (ENS) - "Today, Indonesia has a new national park that aims to protect at least 23 bird species found nowhere else in the world. The Aketajawe Nature Reserve and the Lalobata Protected Forest on the Indonesian island of Halmahera were together declared a National Park by the Indonesian Minister of Forestry on Thursday.

The park will protect 167,300 hectares of hill and lowland rainforest of exceptional biodiversity importance, says BirdLife International, which has worked for more than eight years to accomplish this level of protection for the area. The timing of the announcement is especially significant as it coincides with BirdLife’s publication of the "Important Bird Areas of Asia," the organization said.

But Weda Bay Minerals, a Canadian mining exploration and development company listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange, has approval to develop a nickel and cobalt mine and processing facility on Halmahera Island. The company, through its Indonesian subsidiary, P.T. Weda Bay Nickel, will be developing the mine in the Aketajawe Nature Reserve and Lalobata Protected Forest, regardless of the new national park status of the area.


In July, the Indonesian Parliament decided that companies could mine in protected forests if they held permits before a 1999 law, Law 41, was passed that banned such mining. In addition to the new language added to Law 41, a Presidential Decree passed this summer states that 13 companies, including P.T. Weda Bay Nickel, have met the conditions which allow them to apply for the required mining licenses. Weda Bay President and CEO John Lynch said, "Achievement of this outcome was the result of close cooperation between government and the mining industry and in which P.T. Weda Bay Nickel played a leading role. This has only been possible through the excellent relationships the company has made at all levels of government and the relevant parliamentary commissions."

EDIT

Yes, I'm sure they have EXCELLENT relationships with all levels of government . . . .

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