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The Guardian - AU
The Guardian - AU
World
Lorcan Lovett

Indonesia puts 100-island archipelago up for auction, sparking environmental concerns

The Widi Reserve, a coral atoll archipelago for sale in Indonesia
The Widi Reserve, a coral atoll archipelago for sale in Indonesia. Photograph: Sothebys

The development rights to an entire Indonesian archipelago with more than 100 tropical islands is set to be auctioned next week, sparking concerns for the environmental impact on what Sotheby’s described as “one of the most intact coral atoll ecosystems left on Earth”.

The uninhabited Widi Reserve is based in a marine-protected zone in the “Coral Triangle” area of eastern Indonesia, and will go on sale via Sotheby’s Concierge Auctions in New York from 8-14 December.

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