Opposition Grows to Deep Sea Mining Venture in Papua New Guinea
Villagers Present Key Concerns to Mining Company
Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea – This week, representatives of tribal coastal villagers submitted a formal letter to Nautilus Minerals Inc, a Canadian-based mining organization, expressing their concerns about proposed deep sea mining that will take place in the Western Pacific Ocean. Central to their concerns are the need for greater community participation and a broader Environmental Impact Statement that takes into account social and economic consequences.
Additionally, nearly 900 members of the public from around the world have also called on greater accountability from Nautilus, showing a growing concern for this potentially devastating and untested mining technology.
“Land-based mining has had devastating impacts on the environment and peoples of Papua New Guinea,” stated Wences Magun, founder of the local organization Mas Kagin Tapani, which has been leading the community response to the mining, “We depend on a healthy, clean ocean to feed our families as we have done for generations. Any new venture, such as deep sea mining, must proceed slowly at a village pace, rather than at the speed of a multinational company.”
Mas Kagin Tapani has helped educate villagers of Bagabag Island about the deep sea mining issue and help amplify their voices through press releases, new stories, and full page advertisements.
“Deep sea mining has the potential to disrupt the critical coral ecosystems on which coastal communities depend for their livelihoods,” said Peter Fugazzotto, Director of the California-based Oceans and Communities. “Community concerns must be considered more important than any potential shareholder profits, especially where possible environmental and social risks outweigh any short term gains.”
Deep sea mining is a new and untested mining method which would use remotely operated underwater mine cutters to scour the ocean floor to pump copper and gold ore to ships on the surface and then transfer to barges for land-based processing. While deep sea mining is regulated in international waters, it is not regulated in Papua New Guinea waters, a country in which coastal villagers depend on healthy marine ecosystems to feed their families.
“Explorations licences for deep sea mining activity cover vast tracks the most biodiverse coastal seas in Papua New Guinea, and the impacts of current exploration activities on these deep sea environments remain unchecked. Companies such as Nautilus must come to the table with concerned community stakeholders to ensure their activities do not destroy some of the most unique and important underwater resources in the Pacific,” stated Techa Beaumont of the Australia-based Mineral Policy Institute.
Contact:
Wences Magun, Sea Turtle Restoration Project – Papua New Guinea and Mas Kagin Tapani, 011 (675) 323 2632, wence@seaturtles.org
Peter Fugazzotto, Oceans and Communities, 415-458-8839, peter@oceansandcommunities.org
Techa Beaumont, Mineral Policy Institute, +61 (0)409 318 406 or James Courtney + 61 (0)418927821, advocacy@mpi.org.au
Resources:
•To see a copy of the community letter to Nautilus go to:
http://www.oceansandcommunities.org/?p=8
• For a copy of the full page ad the Bagabag community ran questioning Nautilus, go to: http://www.seaturtles.org/pdf/BAGABAGAd.pdf
• For background information on deep sea mining, please go to:
http://www.environmentaldefense.org/documents/736_DeepSeaMining.pdf
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Oceans and Communities works with coastal communities and environmental organizations to protect the oceans and the rights of coastal communities from large-scale industrial threats, such as deep sea mining, industrial fishing and other mega-development projects, For more information about, please visit: www.OceansandCommunities.org
