Say 'NO' to deep seabed mining

  
Solomon Star News

A senior environmentalist from Papua New Guinea (PNG) has called on the Solomon Islands government and people to stop deep sea mining (DSM) in the country. Wenceslaus Magun, the national coordinator of Mas Kagin Tapani Association in PNG called on responsible authorities to wake up to save lives than to destroy them. Mr Magun said overseas countries knew the loopholes that our countries have therefore want to utilise it for their benefit. He said if land mining operations have destructive effects to our environment which humans are familiar with, how much more is it for the seabed which no proper scientific discoveries and research has been done about it. “We have seen mining companies come and destroy our environment for these minerals. And when they left, people are suffering. "We are people created by God with dignity and we need our resources to survive, not money,” Magun said. He added that it will come to a time when the country will develop and have the human capacity and infrastructure to venture into such development. "Therefore we don’t need foreigners to rip us off and destroy our livelihood." Mr Magun warned that if the ocean resources are destroyed, people's lives too will be destroyed. "Because we pacific island nations depend very much on our sea resources for survival." He further highlighted that there is no baseline study being done for under water mining. He questioned if the country allow DSM, do we have the mitigation capacity and infrastructure to deal with its effects? “Three quarter benefit of these developments will be taken out of this country. "So what is the point of allowing such development to take place when it has devastating effects to our lives forever. "We do not have enough resources and if we destroy then, we are gone.”