Jakarta, June 6 -- Indonesia's Ministry of Forestry has issued firm instructions not to issue new forest area use approvals (PPKH) in Raja Ampat, Southwest Papua, following recent concerns over nickel mining activities in the area.

"In response to concerns over possible environmental degradation in high conservation value areas such as Raja Ampat, the Minister of Forestry has instructed a temporary halt to the issuance of new PPKH," the ministry's director general of forestry planning, Ade Triaji Kusumah, noted in her statement on Thursday (June 5).

She revealed that while new approvals are on hold, the ministry is currently evaluating and monitoring existing approvals.

To date, two forest use approvals have been granted in the Raja Am...