Sandpiper justifies marine phosphate mining along the coast

NOT only is marine phosphate a commodity like fish, but it’s so harmless that one can eat it, according to Barnabas Uugwanga of Namibia Marine Phosphate (NMP), the Namibian-Australian venture responsible for the controversial Sandpiper Phosphate Project south-west off Walvis Bay.

NMP is a joint venture between Australia’s Minemakers Limited and UCL Resources Limited, and Namibia’s Tungeni Investments.Uugwanga made this comment in front of the Minister of Fisheries and Marine Resources, Bernhard Esau, fisheries representatives, the public and hundreds of Swakopmund schoolchildren during a panel discussion on marine mining on Friday, as part of a World Ocean Day celebrations.The panel of seven speakers were notably not in favour of the marine phosphate mine – a first in the world. The public, including the children, also questioned the need for this project and the environmental impact it would have on sea and land, as well as on the fishing industry, one of the pillars of Namibia’s economy.Although all the participants agreed that marine phosphate mining and its impact is a relative ‘unknown’ because it has never been done before – and that proper research and consultation are necessary – it was also made clear that Namibia has become a ‘guinea pig’ for future projects of this nature.When difficult questions relating to the Environmental Impact Assessment were asked, Uugwanga said the panel discussion was not the right platform to address technical issues.’This is a day of the celebration of our oceans, and that is what we should be celebrating now. In that context, Namibia is blessed with resources, non-living and living. Like fish is taken out of the sea, processed and sold to bring in money, so phosphate is also taken out of the oceans, processed and sold to bring in money. What is important here is that we are responsible in utilising the resources,’ he said. ‘It is also our responsibility to ensure minimal impacts.’As for the risk phosphate mining could pose to the marine eco-system, as feared by the fishing industry, Uugwanga said phosphate was ‘harmless’.’We take it directly out of the sea, sucking it up from the seabed. It’s black sand. We had it analysed and put it in our mouths. One can eat it. It’s not poisonous,’ he said.NMP is pushing for the realisation of the mine that will deliver to a global market with a growing demand for fertiliser phosphate. The mine licence will be valid for 20 years, but the non-renewable resource of seabed phosphate in the mine licence area has the potential to supply the phosphate for 300 years, according to Uugwanga.According to others that is ‘nothing’ considering that fish as a non-renewable resource can last ‘forever’ if managed properly. Other contradictions are that the mine will provide jobs to about 200 people whereas fishing provides jobs to over 13 000. The mine’s economy will also benefit far fewer Namibians than the fishing industry, which is a 5 per cent contributor to the national GDP.Said Esau: ‘No one can refute that bulk seabed mining will be detrimental, however the impact is not known because there is no such mine. We need to approach this issue with extreme caution and make use of all the necessary information available to us.’