Manila Times
Thursday, May 14, 2009
Raydz B. Barcia
DARAGA, Albay: The barely four-year operation of the multi-million Lafayette mining firm in the island town of Rapu-Rapu has caused an alarming reduction of fish catch according to the report of local fishermen and environmentalists in the Bicol region.
“There is an alarming reduction of fish catch reported by the fishermen in the island. Our collated data points that the people experienced an estimated fish catch loss of 80 to 90 percent since the mining operation of Lafay-ette mining started to dispose mine wastes into the sea,” Fernando Hicap, chairman of the militant fisher folk group Pamalakaya told reporters in a press conference on Wednesday held at Terraza Cafe.
“The fishermen are forced to fish as far as Catanduanes province which increases their working time and pro-duction expenses,” Hicap said.
The major source of livelihood in the area is catching Malasugi or Blue Marlin, a type of tuna in Albay Gulf. Marine pollution and degradation of marine habitat drove the Malasugi and other tuna species farther away from Rapu-Rapu Island.
Based on the report of Solidarity Mission, areas adjacent and surrounding the open-pit mining operation of La-fayette such as Carogcog, Tinopan, Viga and Buenavista have experienced rapid loss of coral covers due to pol-lution.
Residents from Buenavista village estimated that they have already lost almost 50 percent of their coral reefs after Lafayette’s large-scale mining operation started in the island.
A group of environmental activists, health professionals, fisher folks, church people from the National Capital Region, Japan and militant groups in Bicol conducted a solidarity mission in Rapu-Rapu Island for three-day.
The solidarity mission, organized by Kalikasan People’s Network for the Environment (Kalikasan PNE) and Sagip Isla, Sagip Kapwa participated by at least 37 people from 28 organizations.
“People are fast losing their livelihood and food sources in the island. The extensive pollution and degradation of the local marine ecosystem and water sources in the area have resulted in the drastic decrease in people’s in-come and livelihood. We believe that the main factor in this environmental degradation and pollution is the con-tinuing massive release of mine wastes to the rivers of Rapu-Rapu and Albay Gulf,” Clemente Bautista, national coordinator of Kalikasan PNE told reporters.
Bautista said the local communities have observed the decreasing population and loss of marine species such as seashells and small fishes that they usually catch for food.
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