January 31, 2026 | 10:00 pm
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The coastal area of Bintan Island, Riau Islands Province, has once again been contaminated by black oil spills allegedly dumped by a passing tanker in international waters but carried over to shores by the wind.
The pollution was initially discovered by tourists enjoying the beauty of Bintan through windsurfing on Wednesday, January 28, 2026. The guest was staying at Mutiara Beach Resort.
The manager of Mutiara Resort, Mark, mentioned that the tourist later found a pile of oil. "As the manager of Mutiara Beach, we immediately inspected the area, and it turned out that the black oil had spread throughout the beach," said Mark on Saturday, January 31, 2026.
The black oil was contained in plastic sacks, and Mark said crabs were seen covered in black oil. "The smell was pungent and gave us headaches," he said, adding that guests at Mutiara Beach resort opted to check out of their rooms due to this incident.
Beach Cleaning
After receiving the report, Mark informed the East Coastal Bintan Community WhatsApp group. The resort's management and local residents worked together to prepare for the cleanup, from finding carts, masks, gloves, and other cleaning equipment. "We eventually started collecting the oil. This waste must be handled with caution as it is hazardous. This is based on our experience handling the same issue in 2020," he said.
Following that, personnel from the Indonesian Navy, KPLP Tanjung Uban, also arrived at the location to set up a marine barrier to prevent more waste from entering the area. Despite no oil spills being seen washed ashore, the barrier stood as a precautionary measure.
The cleaning process continued until Friday, January 30, 2026. Mark said, "The busiest time for guests to visit Mutiara Resort is during the weekend. We don't want guests to cancel their bookings, so we have to ensure the beach is clean quickly. It's hard work."
As of Saturday, January 31, 2026, around 200 sacks containing black oil, weighing 2 kilograms each, have been collected, totaling approximately 4 tons. "And this isn't finished yet; the cleanup is still ongoing," said Mark.
Mark said he's sharing the situation publicly to attract the attention of relevant authorities and the government. Bintan's tourism, he said, is not in good condition, but authorities would dismiss the situation "if there's no complaint.
Mark was hoping for no repeat of oil contamination since the 2020 incident, to no avail. "This requires political awareness. I believe the perpetrators can be apprehended. We have sophisticated satellite surveillance tools," said Mark.
Damaging the Tourism Image
The Head of Culture and Tourism Office of Bintan Regency, Arief Sumarsono, said he's aware of the incident and how it tarnished Bintan's tourism reputation. "Despite tourism being the biggest contributor to the local government's revenue," said Arief.
"We will hold a public hearing with the Bintan Regency Regional House of Representatives (DPRD) to discuss this matter. We do not want this to happen again," he concluded.
Read: Again, Bintan's Trikora Beach Contaminated by Black Oil Spills
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