PNG's Northern Governor Juffa Opposes Seabed Mining, Demands Independent Environmental Review
Governor Gary Juffa of Northern Province has strongly opposed seabed mining in Papua New Guinea and is urging all MPs to demand a comprehensive environmental assessment before allowing such projects to proceed.
His call comes after the New Ireland Provincial Government announced its willingness to proceed with seabed mining through a recently signed MOU. Governor Juffa expressed grave concerns and called on the National Government and Acting Governor Walter Schnaubelt to intervene.
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| Governor Gary Juffa |
He pointed out that seabed mining operations pose significant threats to marine ecosystems and coastal livelihoods. Juffa said independent scientific research is necessary to understand the long-term consequences of disturbing ocean floors.
The governor recalled that New Ireland communities raised serious concerns during the Nautilus Minerals operations over a decade ago, citing strange occurrences such as floating dead fish and murky waters. Despite a mass petition in 2012 with 18,000 signatures, the project went ahead with K300 million in state funding—only for Nautilus to go bankrupt without accountability.
Juffa criticized the government’s failure to recover public funds and warned that the same actors may now be attempting to return under new branding. “This must not be allowed to happen again,” he said.
He stressed that seabed mining is banned in many developed countries due to its unpredictable risks. PNG lacks the technical capacity to manage or contain such hazards.
Citing scientific critiques by Dr. Helen Rosenbaum and Dr. Stephan Simpson, Juffa said the prior environmental study was flawed and did not cover crucial pelagic zones, which are essential for sustaining marine biodiversity.
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