Baruna Jaya finds Freeport's tailing in Arafuru sea

The Baruna Jaya VIII vessel, owned by the Institute of Indonesian Sciences (LIPI), has found a large sediment at the end of the Aikwa river in the Arafuru sea. From its initial research, the sediment was piled from tailing disposed by gold and copper miner PT Freeport through the Aikwa River.

A report from Helfinalis MSc from LIPI's center of sea geology and oceanology development addressed to State Minister of Research and Technology A.S. Hikam show that the sediment was found in a large basin around 60 miles South of Irian Jaya seashore.

The sediment was piled in the basin because of the strong under sea current that brought the tailing from the Aikwa river tot he basin.

Besides doing research at the estuary of the Aikwa River, the research vessel would then move to the area around the estuary of the Memberamo River, also in Irian Jaya, to study fishery potentials in the area.

The vessel, which needs Rp 2 million per day in maintenance cost, would also conduct sea mapping around East Timor to decide sea boundaries between Indonesia and independent East Timor state, following the succession of the territory from Indonesia. (*)