The Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) hopes to start next year a two-year assessment of the impact of mine tailings on fisheries, one of the country’s economic drivers.
BFAR assistant director for technical services Gil Adora said the agency will seek from the Norwegian government – its partner in previous fisheries projects – funding for the undertaking. Mine tailings are large piles of crushed rock that are left over after the metals of interest like lead, zinc, copper, silver, gold and others, have been extracted from mineral rocks that they were a part of originally.
“There must be a thorough hydro-biological study on the matter to protect Philippine fisheries,” he said.
He noted the project’s preliminary design involves sampling at least one site each in Luzon, the Visayas and Mindanao.
Agriculture chief Proceso Alcala has already approved the project, he said.
Adora said BFAR came up with the research plan as mining-related habitat destruction and heavy metal contamination also affect fisheries.
A previous hydro-biological study in Mindanao showed a “very high” level of mercury contamination in seaweeds and demersal fishes there, he saidm adding that BFAR earlier informed the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) about the project so both agencies could jointly undertake it.
DENR regulates large-scale mining nationwide and promotes sustainable minerals extraction. [PNA]
