Mining company, Trans Hex’s recent application for marine diamond mining right along the West Coast has raised significant concerns over potential threats to fisheries and marine ecology, Cape {town} Etc reports.
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According to Protect the West Coast, Trans Hex has applied for a marine diamond mining right offshore of two eco-sensitive areas and a multi-commodity prospecting right in multiple concessions totalling 321km2 along a huge 80km swath of the West Coast.
The giant crawling machines they plan to use threaten fisheries, marine ecology and three heritage shipwreck sites.
Trans Hex’s double application to mine along 80km of the West Coast offered the public a chance to test the new Protect the West Coast (PTWC) participation portal, Ripl.
This platform allows individuals to register as Interested & Affected Parties (I&APs) and voice objections to mining applications.
Protect the West Coast’s legal team warns that Trans Hex’s two applications raise serious concerns about the future of marine archaeological heritage, as well as the marine and coastal ecology and fisheries in a 321km² area along 80km of coastline, from just south of the Northern Cape border to Doringbaai.
The first application, by Trans Hex Operations Pty Ltd, seeks to mine diamonds for 30 years in two marine concessions (11B and 13B) off the Sout and Olifants rivers.
These ‘B’ concessions extend from 1 to 5km offshore, where a remote-controlled seabed machine operates at depths of up to 200 metres, digging up gravel to be processed on a large vessel above before being dumped back into the sea.
West Coast artisanal diver and activist Gavin Craythorne says: ‘Deep water diamond mining is a big problem. These machines are sucking up 600 tons of gravel per hour 24/7. The disturbance to the ocean takes a very long time to rehabilitate.’
Three shipwrecks are located within the 1km buffers of the concessions, necessitating a Marine Heritage Impact Assessment.
Concession 11B extends 30km south of Lepelsfontein, covering 97km² of ocean, while concession 13B lies off a 12km stretch between the Olifants River Mouth and Doringbaai, comprising 39.8km².
Together, both concessions cover 137km² of ocean.
Managing Director of PTWC, Mike Schlebach, expressed deep concern that despite a recent court order halting Trans Hex from mining near the biodiversity hotspot of the Olifants River Estuary, the company is now attempting to exploit alluvial diamond deposits off the same coastline.
Trans Hex is applying for multi-commodity prospecting right in the 11A and 13A concessions, which are closer to shore within the same areas as concessions 11B and 13B.
The ‘A’ concessions extend from the surf zone to 1km out to sea.
Additionally, Trans Hex has included concessions 12A and 12B in its applications.
This means that one company may seek rights to mine for diamonds, heavy minerals and metals (including gemstones, rare earth metals, ferrous and non-ferrous metals) from the surf line to 5km out to sea, extending from just south of the Northern Cape border to Doringbaai.
These minerals are essential for industries such as pigment production, ceramics, metallurgy, aerospace, and nuclear energy.
‘On top of that, Trans Hex has a terrible environmental track record of non-compliance rehabilitating their coastal mines all the way up into the Northern Cape,’ Schlebach added.
Schlebach stressed the need for a moratorium on all prospecting and mining applications until a comprehensive Strategic Environmental Assessment is conducted to evaluate cumulative impacts along the West Coast.
PTWC urged concerned individuals at the time to register as Ripl users and I&APs to voice their concerns.
Unfortunately, the comment window for the applications closed on October 1.
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Picture: Protect the West Coast
