Excerpt from an article entitled "UN may license first seabed mining operations in 2016, but enviro scepticism lingers" published in Mining Weekly of 7 June 2013. The full article can be accessed on: miningweekly/article/offshore-mining-and-its-true-environmental-impact-2013-06-07 Although some experts have provided assurance about offshore mining, others are sceptical of its true impact on the environment and the various types of mining being considered by various mining companies, which, they argue, can have a negative impact on the environment and natural life in the affected areas. According to environmental lobby group Swakopmund Matters, the Namibian marine environment cannot accommodate a viable fishing industry and the disruptive exercise of marine phosphate mining. “Either one or the other can thrive – not both,” says the group, which was formed in 2011 to raise awareness on the potential damage that marine phosphate mining can cause to the Namibian environment, particularly the marine ecosystem and rich fishing resources. Currently, there are four marine phosphate mining projects at various phases of development off the Namibian coast in the Atlantic Ocean. These are being carried out by Namibian and international mining companies. The concept is to dredge the phosphate material from the seabed and ship it ashore using conventional dredging techniques, for processing and drying. “The Namibian fishing industry represents the sustainable use of a renewable resource, whereas seabed mining has a destructive impact on the marine ecosystem. It represents finite exploitation of a nonrenewable resource at the expense of fishing resources, which are of cardinal importance to the Namibian economy,” says Swakopmund Matters. “This kind of marine phosphate mining has never been undertaken anywhere else in the world. It is highly controversial, as the Namibian coast and the Benguela region of the ocean are the most productive and biologically beneficial areas for the country,” says the group. Former head of environmental group the World Wildlife Fund South Africa Dr Allan Heydorn has also expressed concern about marine phosphate mining, according to Swakopmund Matters. He reportedly noted that the likelihood of marine phosphate mining being deleterious to Namibia’s fishing industry was substantial and that the environmental impacts would be serious, particularly in an area characterised by the powerful Benguela current system. “The principle of seabed phosphate mining needs to be subjected to a detailed environmental-impact assessment and public participation. Infrastructure requirements, such as harbour facilities for offloading large volumes of sediments, need to be fully disclosed,” Heydorn is said to have remarked.
Posted on: Fri, 07 Jun 2013 12:12:25 +0000
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