Fishing board against Coromandel mining

Press, 19 August 1981, Page 12

Fishing board against Coromandel mining

PA Wellington The Fishing Industry Board says it opposes substantial mining in Coromandel.

The board does not favour establishing numerous medium or a few large-scale mines in the area. An economic research officer, Mr Alex Duncan, says’ in a paper that mining technology posed high risks for commercial fishing and fisheries resource development, making adequate longterm safeguards impossible. Technologies for control of tailings could be unable to cope with a repeat of flooding experienced in the peninsula.

Widespread failure of

mechanical restraints on tailings could also have a marked and possible irreversible effect on the fisheries habitat, particularly in the Hauraki Gulf, he said. Increased sediment run-off would harm commercial fisheries directly through the effect bn fish breeding grounds. or indirectly through effects on the lower orders in the food chain.

“The acceptability of New Zealand fish on export markets, particularly fresh and frozen snapper, has been enhanced by emphasising the source of the fish as being from the “crystal clear nature of New Zealand’s southern oceans.

“. . . Even a suggestion in the minds of informed overseas buyers of New Zealand fish that inshore waters could be contaminated with increased heavy metal concentrations could be sufficient to impair export market development and cause inconvenience through in-

creased scrutiny of New Zealand fish exports by overseas i« health authorities.” >2

The report says it was ia straightforward to build environmental safeguards into iS law, but hard to enforce them.

It was often difficult to ;® identify a culprit, particularly in an area of intensive mining by several different iu companies. Companies in an || anaemic financial state may i2 be unable to pay fines. [is

The board asks for a firm >" Government commitment : » that no third parties such as commercial fishermen would [*. suffer any loss as a result of isi mining.

It suggests a Government U levy on mining companies as [“ insurance against a calamity !s such as flooding which could cause widespread damage to ui the environment. ‘a