Do more researches and pull out background information about the Nautilus Mining Company

By Nickson Kami

Photo: Madang Indigenous Peoples Forum Chairman Alfred Kaket empowering villagers on sea bed mining at Dibor, 100km northwest from Madang town, Papua New Guinea

Former Governor General, Sir Paulias Matane, urged participants at a recent Forum on Deep Sea Mining (DSM) in Kokopo, East New Britain Province, to do more researches and pull out background information about the Nautilus Mining Company.
“I know and some of you may have heard, that the Canadian-owned company Naulitus has a bad name back in Canada so find out and tell your fellowmen,” Sir Paulias said.
Forum participants included Community representatives, Women Groups, NGOs, East New Britain and New Ireland Provinces’ LLG Presidents and Governors’ representatives. Sir Paulias stressed, that the majority of our people in Papua New Guinea don’t understand what this Solwara 1 project is, and that is not right.
He pointed out that talks of re-opening the Panguna mine in Bougainville without people’s consent, and damages in the Watut River in Morobe Province by the Morobe Mining Joint Venture (MMJV) are good examples of problems that may arise if the owners of the land are not included in the government’s decision-makings of what’s going to happen on their land.
The Former GG says he will go public on this issue, with a statement against the idea that the government is using the Land Mining Act to cover for the Under Sea Mining, because it’s logically not applicable at all. The New Ireland Governor, Sir Julius Chan’s representative at the Forum made his province’s stand clear that everyone, from the people in communities to LLG presidents, Ward Councilors and the Governor, Sir Julius Chan himself say no to any form of mining in the province.