For 10 years, Trans-Tasman Resources has wanted to mine the seabed off the Taranaki coast. But what exactly does the proposal contain and how does it affect the environment?
Trans-Tasman Resources, or TTR, wants to mine the seabed for minerals such as iron, titanium, and vanadium. These would be collected in a 26-36 km area off the coast of Pātea. They would be allowed to take 50 million tonnes per year, for 35 years, and dump 45 million tonnes of sediment back into the ocean. The company, Trans-Tasman Resources, would make 100 billion dollars out of it.
Just to put the size of the proposal into perspective, they would mine an area 3 times the size of Rangitoto Island!
So how would this proposal affect the local environment? In the waters around the proposed mining site, there have been 32 different species of whales and dolphins recorded there. These animals would be forced out of the region and forced to go somewhere else.
In Japan, after drilling tests, they found that the population of fish and shrimp, a year later, had decreased in density by more than half! That’s a 43% decrease in the population who are directly affected by sediment pollution, and a 56% drop in the surrounding areas.
I think it’s safe to say that seabed mining has a long lasting effect on the environment. Especially in New Zealand, where we have lots of unique wildlife due to our geological location
So what do you think about this proposal? Will you help to take a stand against the first major seabed mining operation in New Zealand?
