Local people in Papua New Guinea stand to gain little from the precious metal that’s extracted from the seabed, according to representative of seaside communities.
Nautilus Minerals Inc. was awarded the first deep-sea exploration lease in January from Papua New Guinea authorities to extract minerals from the Bismark Sea.
Jane Kesno, the chief executive of the Namatanai District Council of Women in New Ireland Province states that the project has been enforced on the people by the PNG authorities.
She was cited saying: “ You know our people are not that educated to the level where they can either oppose or accept or participate in these forms of negotiations taking place. Most of these discussions and negotiations take place in hotels, in towns, in Port Moresby, in places far away from those communities .”
Mrs. Kesno tells that the people of Namatanai will be lobbying their mining minister, Byron Chan, to postpone the project while more information is gathered.
[mappress] Subsea World News Staff , December 07, 2011; Image: Nautilus Minerals