An environmentalist and Field Officer with the Environmental Defenders Network, Allagoa Morris, has called on the Bayelsa State Government to urgently regulate black sand mining to protect coastal communities and ensure that the state and host communities benefit from the emerging industry.
Morris said the government must develop clear guidelines on black sand mining, particularly in view of the environmental challenges confronting communities along the state’s Atlantic coastline.
Speaking to our Correspondent on Wednesday, Morris said the state government should learn from the experience of the oil industry, where communities in the Niger Delta have suffered environmental degradation despite the huge economic value derived from crude oil.
According to him, the government should establish a framework that would ensure revenue sharing among the state, host communities and investors, while also protecting the environment.
He said the development followed the recent Supreme Court judgment involving Bayelsa, Lagos and the Federal Government over control of the maritime environment.
Morris, who is special adviser to Governor Douye Diri on Environment, revealed that Governor Diri had directed relevant ministries, particularly the Ministries of Justice and Environment, to study the judgment and develop appropriate modalities and a legal framework for regulating activities within the state’s maritime environment.
He explained that the proposed framework should determine where black sand mining would be permitted and the conditions operators must meet before commencing activities.
Morris, however, expressed concern over reports that some operators were already entering communities with licences purportedly obtained from Abuja.
He said he was unable to establish which federal ministry issued the licences but urged the Federal Government to coordinate with the state government on activities involving the state’s coastal environment.
The environmentalist also raised concerns over reports that some operators were accompanied by armed security personnel.
He said the authorities needed to clarify who was behind the mining activities, who issued the licences and whether the security agencies were officially involved.
According to him, uncontrolled black sand mining could increase coastal erosion in communities already facing serious threats from the Atlantic Ocean.
The Environmentalist listed communities including Odioma, Sangana, Twon-Brass, Okpoma, Kulama, Foropa, Ekeni, Ezetu, Bilabiri and Amatu among those located along the state’s coastal belt.
He said the removal of sand on a commercial scale could disturb the coastal environment, increase water turbidity and affect marine biodiversity, including breeding areas for turtles and some fish species.
He however warned that further degradation of the coastline could threaten the survival of some coastal communities if mining activities were not properly regulated.
Beyond environmental concerns, he said black sand represented an economic opportunity for Bayelsa, noting that the resource could generate employment and revenue for the state and local communities if properly developed.
He also advocated the establishment of a black sand processing plant in Bayelsa to ensure that more value was retained within the state.
Morris Allagoa said Bayelsa’s extensive Atlantic coastline gives the state an opportunity to participate significantly in the emerging mineral sector.
He, however, stressed that exploitation must be guided by the principles of sustainable development.
He said, “We should not operate outside the concept of sustainable development. We should go about our activities in such ways that will satisfy the present generation and also allow generations yet unborn to come and see the same environment and enjoy it.
“The environment is not given to us. We are supposed to be caretakers of the environment for those yet unborn.”
He urged all stakeholders, including the government, investors and host communities, to ensure that black sand mining does not become another source of environmental degradation and resource-related conflict in the Niger Delta.
