Policymakers’ perception regarding tin mining impacts on local varieties as intellectual property (case study in the Bangka Belitung islands)

In addition to being one of the world’s leading producers of white pepper, the Bangka Belitung Islands Province, Indonesia, is also known for its abundant tin production. This implies the existence of rigorous mining activities in the region. Prior to unrestricted mining, tin could only be mined by specific companies authorized by the government. At that time, a majority of the population still worked as farmers. Moreover, mining, which was limited to specific areas, did not have a significant impact on the environmental conditions, including the various types of local varieties in this region. Besides extensive marine mining, unregulated mining has already been carried out on land, including in forests, plantations, and backyard gardens containing local plants. This research employs a juridical-empirical method, examining the interrelation between tin mining and the existence of local varieties as intellectual property, while also assessing the policymakers’ perception of the ongoing situation. The study findings indicate that a majority of policymakers acknowledge that the extensive tin mining actually impacts the existence of local varieties that have existed, both registered and unregistered.