A group of more than 200 assembled on Sunday 11th March in Raglan to show community opposition to proposed iron ore seabed mining in New Zealand’s coastal waters.
Led by Kiwi’s Against Seabed Mining (KASM) the group walked silently through the streets of downtown Raglan holding signs displaying their concern for mining’s impact on New Zealand’s precious natural resources, including the critically endangered Maui’s Dolphin.
The gathering culminated as community members lined the one-way Raglan West Bridge to greet Trans Tasman Resources representative Andrew Sommerville with silent, peaceful opposition following his meeting at the local Marae.
A group of local children bearing anti-mining signs escorted his vehicle across the bridge.
Seabed mining presents a stark contradiction to New Zealand’s clean green image and will adversely affect the nation’s number one export, tourism. Myriad unknowns in the realm of sand flow dynamics make the future of surf tourism uncertain in towns like Raglan, whose surf breaks would be under threat if nearby waters are mined.
Seabed mining is also potentially devastating to coastal ecosystems. The process disrupts bottom dwelling species, depletes oxygen and increases turbidity in the surrounding marine environment. Mining sites become virtually inhabitable. This is of particular significance for already threatened species like the Hector and Maui’s dolphins.
Members from the international environmental NGO Surfers for Cetaceans (S4C) traveled from Australia and the United States to attend today’s demonstration in Raglan. S4C co-founder and professional free-surfer Dave Rastovich said, “Any person who lives near water of any kind knows that every action ripples out and affects the space around it 360 degrees. Mining anywhere near this coastline is assuredly going to have an impact on the wave scape and wellbeing of all those who dwell within and around those waves.
I have seen this happen on the Gold Coast, Mundaka in Spain, and a multitude of waves around the world. There is no doubt in my mind that sea bed mining will endanger the already threatened Maui/Popoto dolphin, and endanger the future of the waves at Raglan.”
Of today’s action, KASM representative Phil McCabe said, “I was really stoked with the turnout of crew today. A real diverse bunch who brought a lot of heart to the silent expression of our immense love of this coastal marine environment that has given us so much! Now we need to step it up, rally more crew and put pressure on the NZ government and TTR to back down.”