Centre for Environmental Rights – Advancing Environmental Rights in South Africa

Since November 2014 the Centre for Environmental Rights has been working with the Safeguard our Seabed Coalition in pursuit of a moratorium on marine phosphate mining in South Africa. Bulk marine sediment mining is entirely untested and it is difficult to imagine the extent of its destructive impact.

The Safeguard our Seabed Coalition, together with Green House Cartoons, has developed an animation that highlights the value, beauty and fragility of our marine environment, and also conveys the stark warnings outlined by independent environmental and socio-economic assessments: marine phosphate mining poses major risks to seabed ecosystems and our long-established, renewable fishing industry.

Despite these risks, and after almost three years of advocacy, the Department of Mineral Resources has not responded to our call for a strategic environmental assessment in relation to marine phosphate mining, or taken any steps towards establishing a moratorium pending a strategic enquiry into this destructive activity.

Visit our Safeguard our Seabed microsite to find out more about the project and the socio-economic and environmental impacts of marine phosphate mining.