Jørgen Lund (NASF), Namibian Fisheries Minister Bernhard Esau and Erik Hempel (FAO) met in Windhoek in 2012. (Photo Credit: NASF)

David (Namibia fishing) against Goliat (global multibillion USD mining giants)

Deputy Fisheries Minister Hon. Ankama will address NASF conference on Namibia Marine Phosphate Mining Research Moratorium March 6th.
 
The theme: The Namibia Marine Phosphate Mining Research Moratorium, based upon a recent decision by Minister Bernhard Esau to engage Norwegian Environmental Council for Namibia to be provided by two world leading Institutions, SINTEF and Institute of Marine Research (IMR).
 
The background for this Namibian decision: A conflict of interest between the sustainability of the marine ecosystem that supports valuable fisheries in Namibia and international mining companies seeking to mine the seabed for phosphate deposits, has resulted in Namibian authorities approaching  Norwegian researchers for advice.  In the nineteen eighties, pre-Independence, Namibian fish stocks were at a low point.

Today fisheries are sustainable. But mining the seabed could threaten the vital fisheries resource. “This is largely a conflict that can be compared with the debate for and against oil and gas exploration in Lofoten and Vesteraalen in Norway”, says project manager and biologist Roar Solbakken in SINTEF Fisheries and Aquaculture Research. SINTEF was contacted by the Fisheries Ministry in Namibia in 2012 via NASF; who was looking for a research partner with no commercial ties to the region.

SINTEF has submitted proposals for an environmental study that will cover the consequences for the entire Namibian coast, where it to be opened for phosphate recovery in the sea. SINTEF Fisheries and Aquaculture is leading the project in which the Institute and IMR are partners. IMR has a long marine operating experience in projects in Namibia and the Southern Africa region.
 
Fisheries Crisis
Fishing is a very important sector in the Namibian economy, as the second largest foreign exchange earner, generating many jobs. The main species harvested are horse mackerel, hake and sardines. Monkfish is also an important species because of its high price per kilo.

The  Norwegian researchers are now brought in as advisers, as they have worked alongside Namibian fisheries following the crisis in the 80s. Then the fish stocks in the West African country were on the verge of collapse due to overfishing. However, because the sea off the West African country is provided with nutritious, cold, unpolluted water, the authorities have managed to restore fish stocks with the help of good management.
 
Environmental assessment scoping - pilot project
The pilot project now under way is funded by the Namibian government, and the goal is to launch a major project during 2015. The main project will include the entire marine food chain. It should also focus on  food safety as mining on the shelf off the coast of Namibia could lead to an increased content of unwanted and harmful substances in fish. This is very important to determine since it will affect public health, export opportunities and wealth creation.
 
Diamonds - and phosphates
But it's not just fish that make the sea an important natural resource for the country: The sea bed contains large deposits of both diamonds and phosphates. The latter is coveted  because phosphate is one of the main ingredients in fertilizers. “This has meant that there is now underway a conflict between international mining companies who wish to use their licenses for mineral extraction of the seabed and the vulnerable fishing industry  that depends on a healthy and functioning ecosystem. The fear of fishermen, government, the public and NGOs is that mining will cause harmful changes that could adversely affect  fish stocks. Therefore, we work with Namibia to examine the environmental impacts of mining in these waters”, says project manager Solbakken. The aim of the project is to form the basis for a political decision on the case.
 
NASF C ontribution
NASF’s Managing Director Jorgen J. Lund has been directly engaged in bringing SINTEF and IMR into the Namibian EIA marine mining project. In June 2012, he was invited to speak at the Namibian Fishing Congress and was then asked by Minister Esau to find reliable global consultants to assist in this project. Lund then contacted SINTEF/IMR who were immediately ready to give Namibia their assistance. NASF’s Representative for Namibia, fisheries consultant Dave Russell has also been much engaged in bringing this project to fruition. A scoping contract was signed between The Ministry and the Norwegian Institutes’ late in 2013.  

NASF’s Lund is happy that Deputy Minister Samuel Ankama will come to NASF and tell the many fisheries policy makers and company executives about this new and vital project. Says Jorgen J. Lund, “We at NASF wish to acknowledge Minister Esau’s courageous decision to initiate an environmental assessment s coping project study in the Namibian fishing waters, to ascertain the potential impacts of the planned offshore underwater phosphate mining which may take place there. Such a study and its results may have global implications and be beneficial for fisheries nations worldwide. This is an example for others to follow. For this reason, the presentation at NASF on March 6th by Hon Ankama should get international attention.”

NASF’s Dave Russell says that this environmental assessment scoping project is vital to the Namibian fisheries’ industry. He has been the co-ordinator for the industry on these matters for several years. Russell says, “Marine phosphate mining can be compared to opencast strip mining millions of tonnes of raw material, in this case soft sediment sea bed. The sea doesn’t have fences so the environmental impacts really need to be well understood. Consequently we welcome the scoping study which will lay the foundation for a comprehensive independently researched environmental assessment utilising world experts”.  

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