Environmental groups and Sorsogon BIshop Arturo M. Bastes are calling for the permanent closure of Australian-owned Lafayette Mining Limited in Rapu-Rapu, Albay, in light of a reported massive fish kills in the island yesterday.
As of yesterday evening, Rapu-Rapu based Sagip Isla Sagip Kapwa Spokesperson Antonio Casitas reported fish kills in five coastal barangays in Rapu-Rapu island: Barangays Pagcolbon, Malobago, Santa Barbara, Carubcob, and Poblacion.
Barangays Pagcolbon, Malobago are classified as direct impact areas of Lafayette Mining’s operations, Kalikasan People’s Network for the Environment (Kalikasan PNE)National Coordinator Clemente Bautista Jr. said. The fish kills hitting at least five mining-affected barangays occur two years after Lafayette caused a mine tailings spill and fish kills amid heavy rains last October 31, 2005.
Massive fish kills
The fish kills happened after heavy and continuous rainfall hit Rapu-Rapu starting from October 26th up to around 3 a.m. of October 28th. At around 10 a.m. of October 28t, residents reported unusual numbers of dead fish floating around the pier area near Barangay Poblacion, Casitas said.
Within three minutes, a variety of dead fish washed up on the shore, weighing a total around one and one-fourth (1 and 1/4) of a kilo when collected. These included eels and local fish species. This volume collected does not include the dead or dying fish sighted by the community at sea. Dead fish continue to be sighted as of this morning, Casitas said.
Casitas described the dead fish washed ashore as “natanggal o luwa na ang mata, mabaho at malambot na at lumolobo ang tiyan ng ibang isda (Some fish had their seyes missing or protuding, were already smelly and squashy, and had bloated stomachs).”
“Namamaho na ang pier at tabing-dagat sa dami ng patay na isda (The pier and coast is starting to stink because of so many dead fish),” Casitas said. The situation is similar in the four other barangays mentioned, he added.
The various shoreline locations where the fish kills were reported cover an area of around seven kilometers. Given the volume of dead fish washed ashore in Brgy. Poblacion, Casitas estimates that hundreds of kilos of dead fish are being washed out to sea.
Another Lafayette mine tailings spill?
Sagip Isla suspects that the fish kills came from the coastal areas within the vicinity of Lafayette’s mining operations, particularly Barangay Pagcolbon where similar fish kills have also been reported earlier today.
“May hinala kami na galing sa Lafayette Mining area ang fishkills (We suspect that the fish kills came from Lafayette Mining’s area),” Casitas said.
The incident occurs nearly two years after Lafayette Mining caused its second mine tailings spill in Rapu-Rapu in October 31 2005, Kalikasan PNE’s Bautista noted.
Casitas said that he was basing his observations on their experience with two mine tailings spills previously incurred by Lafayette on October 11 and 31, 2005, nearly two years ago. Residents near the mining area noticed the same pattern of dead fish being washed aground when mine tailings overflowed amidst heavy rains, Casitas said.
This time around, the dead fish similarly seemed to originate from waters just off the mining-affected communities, he added.
“Mula Brgy. Pagcolbon ang malalakas na alon na papuntang Brgy. Poblacion (The heavy waves moving towards Brgy. Poblacion come from Brgy. Pagcolbon),” Casitas said.
Halt to Lafayette mining demanded
The Bishop of Sorsogon and Kalikasan PNE both called on the DENR to investigate the situation and follow the recommendations of a Presidential fact-finding commission which concluded in 2006 that Lafayette was guilty of irresponsible mining.
“We are vindicated in our recommendation to close Lafayette at Rapu-Rapu. The new DENR Secretary must take seriously the Rapu-Rapu Fact Finding Commission’s (RRFFC) recommendations ignored by former DENR Secretary Angelo Reyes. Let Sec. Atienza read the RRFFC report and come to Rapu-Rapu to see the real situation,” Sorsogon Bishop and former RRFFC Chairperson Arturo M. Bastes said.
The Arroyo administration, however, has yet to implement the RRFC’s recommendations, which include the closure of the Lafayette mine.
“We are calling for an investigation into this latest fish kill, which happens in very similar circumstances to the October 31 2005 mine tailings spill by Lafayette which also caused fish kills in Rapu-Rapu island and Sorsogon. We are also calling for a halt to Lafayette mining’s operations in Rapu-Rapu and regulation into the uncontrolled entry of large foreign mining firms in the Philippines, ” Kalikasan PNE’s Bautista said.
More rains up ahead
Bautista expressed concerns over the latest Pag-asa reports which indicated that Bicol would be hit by even more rains and thunderstorms due to a low-pressure area monitored off Burias Island in the province.
“Such weather events are typical for Rapu-Rapu’s Type II climate, which is characterized by heavy rains from November to February. But the presence of the Lafayette mine in the island and its history of incurring toxic tailing spills and fish kills during heavy rains does not bode well for Rapu-Rapu residents. Remember that the October 11 and 31 2005 mine tailings spills caused by Lafayette occurred during a period of heavy and continuous rainfall ,” Bautista said.
“The worst may be yet to come for Rapu-Rapu,” Bautista said of the continuing rains.
Meanwhile, the local barangay captain in Brgy. Poblacion has already issued an urgent advisory exhorting residents to avoid catching, buying, or eating any fish in the meantime, Casitas reported.
Kalikasan PNE’s Bautista noted that dwindling fish catch and fish kills have been regularly reported in the coastal barangays near Lafayette Mining’s site ever since it began operations in 2005.
” Hardest hit by the fish kills and dwindling fish catch are Rapu-Rapu’s fisherfolk community. The Rapu-Rapu Fact Finding Commission (RRFFC) headed by Sorsogon Bishop Arturo Bastes estimates that 7,000 to 10,000 farmer-fishermen from Rapu-Rapu were immediately affected by the 2005 fish kill and decline in catch ,” Bautista added.
Lafayette Mining currently operates the 140 meter-deep open-pit polymetallic mine project in Barangays Malobago, Pagcolbon, and Binosawan in Rapu-Rapu, directly covering an area of 180 hectares in the eastern side of the island, Bautista said. Environmental scientists previously concluded that mining could not be conducted sustainably and safely in Rapu-Rapu because of the geo-physical conditions of the island, including its location along the typhoon path and its hilly terrains with steep slopes.
Sagip Isla Sagip Kapwa is a Rapu-Rapu based alliance of residents and community leaders calling for the pull-out of Lafayette Mining in the island. Kalikasan PNE is a Philippine-based network of non-government organizations, peoples organizations, and environmental advocates.
References:
Mr. Antonio Casitas, Spokesperson, Sagip Isla Sagip Kapwa, Rapu-Rapu
Most Rev. Bishop Arturo Bastes, Bishop of Sorsogon
Mr. Clemente Bautista, Jr. Kalikasan-PNE National Coordinator
Filed under: Bicol News, Environment, Philippine Updates | Tagged: , Bicol, Bishop Bastes, Lafayette, Rapu-rapu mining
