Sotheby’s Delays Auction Of 100 Indonesian Islands After Backlash
A group of 100 Indonesian islands, part of the Widi Reserve, won’t be up for sale this year, as Sotheby’s has delayed the auction for the exclusive licensed rights to the region till late January next year.
This move, which the auction house attributes to an overwhelming interest in the sale, may actually be due to the backlash it’s faced since environmental groups learned about the auction.
The Widi Reserve, described as “one of the most breathtaking properties anywhere on Earth,” comprises over 100 environmentally-protected islands spanning 25,000 acres in Indonesia.
Dubbed a “secluded, other-worldly paradise,” the region is surrounded by the ‘Coral Triangle’, where endangered species, such as sea turtles, humphead wrasse, and whale sharks, live.
Activists have voiced worries that once the islands are sold, the development of the land could lead to ecological damage that could threaten the life of the marine communities in the nearby waters.
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There’s definitely cause for their concerns, as Sotheby’s listing for the sale notes that amenities such as an airstrip for private jets, luxury eco-resorts, and even an international airport could be built on the islands.
To make matters worse, as per the Washington Post, the Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries recently released a statement claiming that the company managing the islands had not been granted the license to proceed with the auction, which includes a special permit that would address the environmental concerns of the potential takeover.
PT Leadership Islands Indonesia said that it will only develop less than 0.005% of the reserve, which would make it the “lowest density private island resort development in the world,” but environmentalists aren’t convinced.
Muhammad Yusuf Sangadji, executive director of Jala Ina, an activist group in the Maluku Islands, told the site there was currently “no evidence of sustainable tourism in Indonesia.”
Afdillah, ocean campaign team leader at Greenpeace Indonesia, concurred, saying the members “firmly believe there is no such thing as ‘sustainable development’ on reserves.”
It remains unclear if Sotheby’s will eventually go ahead with the auction, though the auction house still maintains the delay is to allow for more interested buyers to “work through due diligence.”
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[via Robb Report and Washington Post, cover image via Rafał Cichawa | Dreamstime.com]
