THE mining operations in Bua have led to significant damage to coastal ecosystems, according to the World Wildlife Fund Fiji, Coral Reef Rescue Initiative manager Margaret Vakalalabure.
Ms Vakalabure said some communities in Bua were experiencing severe soil degradation due to bauxite mining activities.
“They have felt the greatest impacts of the mining extraction had done, facing the greater consequences was their coastal ecosystems,” she said.
While speaking at a workshop organised by Wildlife Conservation Society, she said a lot of the soil has run into impacting their custom tradition fishing grounds.
“They have really felt the impact and the loss of what has happened across the ecosystem.”
She said it had killed a lot of the livelihood they relied on, like mud crabs and fish.
“It’s a loss of their culture because these are their traditional fishing grounds.”
She said the removal of mangrove and trees, which act as natural barriers against tidal surges, were the cause
“A lot of mangroves have been cleared in order to make way for roads, construction of factories, for businesses and houses.”
She said this problem was not confined to Bua only but to some other communities as well.
“Some communities are being hit by tidal waves with the problem stemming from the removal of mangrove forests for development projects.”
She said 30 million hectares have been lost in Fiji since the 1970s.
