Environmentalists Urge PNG to Dismiss Nautilus Deep Sea Mining Project

Papua New Guinea’s next government has been asked to dismiss the Nautilus Deep Sea mining project, reports Radio Australia.

According to Wenceslaus Magun, the national coordinator of the environmental group Mas Kagin Tapani Association, nearly every mining project in PNG has been an “environmental disaster”.

Because of the poor infrastructure and weak legislative controls, this project could also lead to a disaster.

“We are really calling on the next government, that’s going to be formed in a couple of months’ time, to step back and withdraw this license from Nautilus,” stated Magun.

He also added: “We do not have any trust. We could not rely on our government to tell us that seabed mining is good and safe.”

Nautilus Minerals, a Canadian mining company, was appointed for mining of gold and copper deposits under the Bismarck Sea, off New Ireland Province. They hope to commence the project next year.

The company said that they have exceeded the environmental requirements stated by the PNG law. Nautilus Minerals had consulted over 10,000 members of the local affected communities. Also, the company is working hard to secure the fish life in the top layer of the ocean.

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Subsea World News Staff, May 29, 2012; Image: Nautilus Minerals