Nickel Mining on the “Island closest to heaven”: Destruction of biodiversity and indigenous peoples’ rights

New Caledonia, the island nation embraced by beautiful coal reefs enjoys very rich and important ecosystems and biodiversity with shrublands, forests, rivers and marshlands, especially the southmost region has a high propotion of endemic plants.

The world-heritage listed coastal area surrounding the island offers habitats for dugons, sea turtles and whales. Now on this island, a large-scale strip mining operation called “Nickel Cobalt Project” has been set forward by Goro Nickel S.A. They have built refineries, a port, a dam for waste disposal and a pipeline. The project plans to excavate more than 6million tons of earth per year to produce 60,000 tons of nickel oxide.

The local indigenous communities waged protest against the project on the ground that their livelihood and culture will be endangered. But, they failed to stop the project. The nickel produced on the island is to be exported to Japan, too.