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NEWS of the Widi Islands in North Maluku being auctioned off or sold on foreign online websites by PT Leadership Island Indonesia (LLI) immediately drew public attention. The Minister of Home Affairs, Tito Karnavian said that PT LLI was bidding for the Widi Islands to seek foreign investors due to a lack of capital to develop the Widi Islands.
To prove that the bidder is serious, the Widi Islands auction bidder is asked to provide a deposit of US$100 thousand or IDR1,621,600,000. The Widi Islands on the site are said to consist of more than 100 islands in the ‘Coral Triangle’, which covers an area of 10 thousand hectares.
Through the website of the Sotheby’s auction house, namely www.casothebys.com, which was checked by tempo.co, Saturday morning, December 17, 2022, there was still an advertisement for the auction for the Widi Islands, called Widi Reserve, Northeast of Bali: Islands Protected with Exclusive Development Rights, that auction is still open until January 24, 2023.
Where are the Widi Islands?
Abstracted from halmaheraselatankab.go.id, the Widi Islands are located in Gane Luar Village, Southeast Gane District, South Halmahera Regency, North Maluku Province.
The islands in the Widi Islands have their own uniqueness, namely with a wide expanse of white sand, crystal clear sea, coral reefs rich with various types of fish. Of course this beautiful view can make tourists amazed.
It is no exaggeration to say that the Widi Islands are the most beautiful islands in North Maluku Province. It’s no wonder this place is often visited by tourists. In the Widi Islands there are 99 islands, 3 atolls and two clusters of islands that are well known by the fishing community, namely Daga Gane Island which faces Gane District and Daga Weda which faces Weda District.
This island is like a paradise for fishermen because the source of their livelihood has great fishery potential here. The Widi Islands also have many underwater tourist spots and are a paradise for diving and snorkeling enthusiasts.
Reporting from bisnis.com, the Widi Islands hosted the International Fishing Tournament in 2017 which was officially opened by President Joko Widodo. At the event, the International Fishing Tournament reportedly succeeded in attracting around 100 anglers from various countries, such as Singapore, Australia, India and Malaysia.
The stunning beauty and splendor of the Widi Islands in North Maluku has made it even dubbed the Maldives of Indonesia by foreign tourists. [sources/photo special]
