By KC Maderia
Airing his concerns about seabed mining in Papua New Guinea, Northern Province Governor Gary Juffa has urged action from the National Government and Acting Governor Walter Schnaubelt.
His call follows the announcement by the New Ireland Provincial Government that it is willing to move forward with seabed mining under a newly signed Memorandum of Understanding.
Seabed mining in Papua New Guinea is strongly opposed by the governor, who is calling on all Members of Parliament to demand a thorough environmental review before permitting such projects to move further.
Detriments of seabed mining according to Gov Juffa
Gov Juffa believes that coastal livelihoods and marine habitats are seriously threatened by seabed mining operations, PNG Facts reported.
He added that in order to comprehend the long-term effects of altering ocean floors, impartial scientific research is required.
Moreover, he underscored that because of its unknown consequences, seabed mining is prohibited in many affluent nations, stressing that PNG lacks the technical capability to control or limit these risks.
Juffa further claimed that the previous environmental research was defective and did not cover important pelagic zones, which are necessary for maintaining marine biodiversity, citing scientific criticisms from Drs Helen Rosenbaum and Stephan Simpson.
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The Nautilus Minerals activities
Meanwhile, Juffa noted that more than 10 years ago, during the Nautilus Minerals activities, residents in New Ireland expressed grave worries about odd phenomena like floating dead fish and muddy seas.
Even though 18,000 people signed a petition in 2012, the project was nonetheless funded with PGK300 million from the state, yet Nautilus went bankrupt without being held accountable.
Criticising the government’s inability to retrieve public cash, Juffa cautioned that the same actors might now try to reappear under a different name.
“This must not be allowed to happen again,” he was quoted as saying by the PNG Facts.
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