Press Statement
King-king Copper-Gold Project threatens biodiversity— Canadian technical report
The King-king Copper-Gold Project, which was reportedly to be approved within this month [1], threatens the biodiversity of Southern Mindanao which will also have an impact on the ecology of neighboring regions in this Southeast Asian island.
According to the 2013 NI 43-101 compliant Technical Report and Preliminary Feasibility Study of M3 Engineering & Technology, the copper-gold open-pit mining project will affect twelve (12) “vulnerable or critically endangered” species of the 253 native or endemic plant species present in the area, as defined by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List and the Philippine National Red List; six (6) species endemic to Mindanao of the 74 bird species present in the area; and a total of 17 mammalian species and 10 reptilian species identified in the area.[2] The report adds that several of the wildlife species found in the region “are listed as near-threatened or vulnerable by the IUCN, while others are protected by Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES), including 11 bird species, two (2) mammal species and five (5) reptile and amphibian species.” We also note that the region is also home to the Philippine eagle Pithecophaga jefferyi.
The report also highlights the impact of the project to the coastal and marine ecosystems in the area which is part of the eastern coast of Davao Gulf: “Marine studies showed that several species of sea turtles, dolphins, whales, and seabirds live in the area. Sea cows and whale sharks also live in the region. The sea cow species and all species of sea turtle found in the region are listed as endangered. Phyto-, nano-, zoo-, and ichthyoplankton, as well as coral and benthic species were found in abundance during oceanographic surveys which included diving surveys. The sea grass density ranged from 772.0 to 3,174.2 shoots per square meter.”
M3 Engineering & Technology is a US-based private consultancy firm contracted by St. Augustine Gold & Copper to conduct the study in compliance with Canada’s National Instrument 43-101, which is supposedly required under Canadian laws. [3]
The NI 43-101 is a “codified set of rules and guidelines for reporting and displaying information related to mineral properties owned by, or explored by, companies which report these results on stock exchanges within Canada. This includes foreign-owned mining entities who trade on stock exchanges overseen by the Canadian Securities Administrators, even if they only trade on Over The Counter (OTC) derivatives or other instrumented securities.” [4]
Given this clear threats to the biodiversity by the export-oriented large-scale mining project, the researchers strongly recommends that “it will likely be necessary to implement ongoing monitoring for these species and modify Project activities accordingly to avoid habitat disturbance.” It also recommends that a “comprehensive Biodiversity Action Plan, including a well-designed biodiversity offset program, will be developed and implemented with full consideration of all threatened, endangered, and vulnerable species.”
Aside from these threats to biodiversity, we also call on the Aquino government to look at the adverse social impact this foreign-owned mining project will impose not only on the five (5) barangays directly within the project area but also on neighboring communities whose water supply will also be affected.
The DENR must see to it that these recommendations are being addressed. However, given the government’s track-record in allowing environmental plunderers and destroyers to go on with their business like in the 2012 Philex mine spill, we expect another disaster to happen if this project will push through. Thus, we register our strong opposition to the King-king copper-gold project.
These concerns must not be dismissed by the Aquino government as simply anti-mining propaganda. If the Aquino government cannot protect our treasured biodiversity, who will?
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References
[1] King-King copper mine seen to get approval next month, Reuters, October 30, 2015, http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/business/10/30/15/king-king-copper-mine-seen-to-get-approval-next-month
[2] King-king Technical Report NI 43-101 Preliminary Feasibility Study, conducted by M3 Engineering & Technology, Tucson, Arizona, US, issued on October 28, 2013, downloaded at http://www.sagcmining.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/NI-43-101_King-king_Rev.0-10-28-13_final.pdf
[3] M3 Engineering & Technology, http://m3eng.com/
[4] Wikipedia entry on National Instrument 43-101, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Instrument_43-101
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