There is no translation available for this article. Article in German.
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Erste Bilder vom Projekt „Forschung fürs Überleben“

Landau 28. November 2021.

Die Forschungsarbeiten in Chile haben begonnen (1). Die Gruppe um Dr. Guillermo Luna (Universität Coquimbo), die das Monitoring durchführt, hat auf den Inseln Choros 80 Nester und auf Chañaral 40 Nester markiert und dokumentiert das Brutgeschehen in den Nestern.

Die Gruppe um Dr. Alejandro (Universität Andrés Bello, Santiago) hat auf einigen Inseln, u.a. Pan de Azucar, Tilgo Brutpaare gezählt. Die Arbeiten wurden teilweise durch starken Seegang erschwert. Dadurch entstanden nicht geplante Wartezeiten, zu einigen Inseln konnte die Forscher gar nicht übergesetzen. Die Gruppe startet nächste Woche zur 2. Runde der Zählungen.

Nach Abschluss der Zählungen untersuchen beide Gruppen gemeinsam die Nahrungssuche mit GPS-Loggern. Diese Forschungsarbeiten finden bei den wichtigsten Brutinseln Choros und Chañaral statt.

W.K.

(1) Die Forschungsarbeiten werden vom Zoo Dresden, dem Förderverein Tierpark Hagenbeck, Hamburg und der Artenschutzstiftung Zoo Karlsruhe gefördert.

(2) s.a. Artikel „Forschung fürs Überleben“

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Erste Bilder des Projektes „Bruterfolg auf den Ballestas?“

Landau 26. November 2021.

Im Juli 2021 begann das Forschungsprojekt „Bruterfolg auf den Ballestas?“ (1), genauer gesagt, sollte beginnen. ACOREMA hatte zu diesem Zeitpunkt zwar die gesamte Ausrüstung beschafft, um beginnen zu können, es musste aber zunächst ein bürokratischer Hürdenlauf absolviert werden, um die erforderlichen Lizenzen und Genehmigungen zu erhalten. Um eine Drohne nutzen zu dürfen, war es notwendig, eine Lizenz zu beantragen. Um diese zu erhalten, musste zuvor ein Kurs absolviert und eine Prüfung abgelegt werden. 15 Arbeitstage nach dem Test erteilt im Normalfall das Ministerium für Verkehr und Kommunikation dann die Lizenz. Das Ministerium ließ sich aber mehr als 45 Tage Zeit. Erst mit dieser Lizenz konnte eine Genehmigung für Forschungsarbeiten im „Nationalen Schutzgebiet für Inseln, Inselchen und Puntas Guaneras“ beantragt werden. Nach der Antragstellung hieß es erneut, warten, warten, warten.

Im November stimmte die SERNANP (staatliche Naturschutz-Agentur) dem Forschungsplan zu. Die schriftliche Genehmigung ließ aber erneut auf sich warten. Die Behörde garnierte die Wartezeit mit dem Hinweis, die Forschungen kämen zu einem sehr günstigen Zeitpunkt und seien eminent wichtig. Wichtig für die Entwicklung und Gestaltung von Aktivitäten und Richtlinien, die in den Schutzgebieten zu beachtet sind, um z.B. die Population der Humboldt-Pinguine zu erhalten.

Endlich, am 21. November, konnte Milagros Ormeno und ihr Team die ersten Fotos (s. unten) und Filmaufnahmen (Video bitte einbauen) machen. Das Team von ACOREMA lokalisierte u.a. einige Nester mit Küken, die gerade flügge werden.

W.K.

(1) Die Forschung wird vom Zoo Frankfurt und dem Vogelpark Marlow gefördert.

(2) s.a. Artikel „Bruterfolg auf den Ballestas-Inseln?“

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Bildungs- und Öffentlichkeitsarbeit wird erweitert.

Landau 25. November 2021.

Die letzten 2 Jahre waren in Chile sehr turbulent. Im Oktober 2019 protestierten Millionen Chilenen gegen soziale Ungleichheit und forderten eine neue Verfassung. Die Massenproteste mündeten in einem Referendum und Wahlen von Abgeordneten für eine verfassungsgebende Versammlung. Am letzten Wochenende waren in Chile Präsidentschaftswahlen. Auch ein neues Parlament und Teile des Senats wurden neu gewählt. Die Wahl des neuen Präsidenten wird in einer Stichwahl am 19. Dezember entschieden. Chile befindet sich in einem politischen und sozialem Umbruch mit ungewissem Ausgang. Das gilt auch für die Auswirkungen auf den Schutz der Umwelt und der Natur.

Die Befürworter der Bergbau- und Hafen-Projekte „Cruz Grande“ und „Dominga“ sind durch die Enthüllungen der letzten Monate (s. Berichte auf dieser Seite) in die Defensive geraten. Daher sind – bei allen Unwägbarkeiten - die Chancen aktuell eigentlich günstig, endlich die längst überfällige Schutzzone für das wertvolle Ökosystem „Archipel Humboldt“ durchzusetzen. SPHENISCO versucht die günstige Entwicklung durch 2 Maßnahmen zu unterstützen. Als Gründungsmitglied der Alianza Humboldt, die sich für den Schutz des „Archipels Humboldt“ in Nordchile einsetzt, hat der Verein gemeinsam mit „Rettet den Regenwald“ die Petition „Humboldt-Pinguine brauchen endlich Schutz“ auf den Weg gebracht. Damit soll der Forderung nach einer Schutzzone auch international Nachdruck verleihen werden. Aktuell unterstützen bereits rund 68.000 Menschen in aller Welt diese Forderung. Wir hoffen, in nächster Zeit über 100.000 Unterstützer gewinnen zu können.

Da unserer Mitarbeiterin Nancy Duman die Arbeit sozusagen über den Kopf wächst und die Situation bzgl. des „Humboldt-Archipels“ so brisant ist, stellt SPHENISCO im November eine weitere Mitarbeiterin, Karen Quezada ein, um die Bildungs- und Öffentlichkeitsarbeit in der Region Coquimbo zu erweitern. Karen Quezada hat Tourismus-Management mit dem Zusatzstudium internationaler Ökotourismus studiert. Sie war bei verschiedenen Institutionen und Vereinigungen, u.a. bei der CONAF (chilenischer Behörde für Naturschutzgebiete) tätig und verfügt daher über langjährige Erfahrungen in Planung, Management und Kontrolle von Naturschutzgebieten. Zu ihren Aufgaben gehörte es u.a. die Zusammenarbeit der Naturschutzbehörde mit der staatlichen Tourismusagentur (Sernatur) und Gemeinden zu organisieren und zu gestalten.

Nancy Duman und Karen Quezada wollen und sollen die bisherigen Aktivitäten und Projekte weiterführen. Wir erinnern uns: Gemeinsam mit anderen Naturschützern hat Nancy Duman in den letzten Jahren Umweltnetzwerke wie „Defensa Ambiental“, „Alianza Humboldt“ mitentwickelt und gepflegt. Durch Seminare und Tagungen - online und präsent - , hat sie, gemeinsam mit anderen, unermüdlich mit ganz unterschiedlichen Aktionen u.a. auch Demonstrationen auf die drohende Zerstörung des wertvollen Ökosystems „Archipel Humboldt“ aufmerksam gemacht. Seit Jahren begleitet sie die juristischen Auseinandersetzung um das wertvolle Ökosystem, weist „Politik“, Behörden und Bürger immer wieder auf die drohende Zerstörung hin und meldet sich bei der Diskussion um eine neue Verfassung beim Thema Umwelt- und Naturschutz zu Wort. Mit dem Ergebnis, dass sie dazu beitragen konnte, dass aktuell eine Mehrheit die Hafen- und Bergbauprojekte in der Region Coquimbo ablehnt.

Diese Erfolge sollen gesichert und mit neue Themen sowie Projekten ausgebaut werden. Die beiden Mitarbeiterinnen planen folgende Initiativen:

1. Bürgerbeteiligung bei der Gestaltung der Meeresschutzzone „Archipel Humboldt“.
   Ziel dieser Initiative ist es, betroffene Bürger der Region (Fischer, Muschelzüchter, Mitarbeiter im Tourismus, Algensammler, Indigene, etc.) dafür zu gewinnen, sich zu organisieren und wissenschaftlich fundierte Forderungen an eine „Meeresschutzzone mit multipler Nutzung“ zu formulieren und zu vertreten. Auf diese Weise sollen Grundlagen für das zukünftige Management der Schutzzone erarbeitet und ihre Akzeptanz erhöht werden.
2. Öffentlichkeitsarbeit „Forschung fürs Überleben“.
   Im Oktober haben die Forschungsarbeiten zu den Bestandszahlen, zum Bruterfolg und zur Nahrungssuche des Humboldt-Pinguins, Stichwort „Forschung fürs Überleben“, in ganz Chile mit dem Schwerpunkt in der Region Coquimbo begonnen. Ziel der Initiative „Öffentlichkeitsarbeit“ ist es, vor allem die (betroffenen) Bewohner der Küstendörfer, aber auch eine möglichst breite Öffentlichkeit über die Forschungsvorhaben zu informieren und auf diese Weise für die Notwendigkeit des Schutzes der Humboldt-Pinguine und ihres Lebensraums zu werben.
3. Bildungsarbeit via Radio.
   Mit Hilfe einer regelmäßigen Sendung zum Thema „Archipel Humboldt“ bei einem in der Region Coquimbo gern gehörten Sender soll auf unterhaltsame Weise eine größere Öffentlichkeit über die Bedeutung des wertvollen Ökosystem informiert werden. Mit den Sendungen soll auch ein neues Format der Umweltbildung erprobt werden.
4. Umweltbildung in der Kommune La Higuera.
   In Peru macht ACOREMA im Auftrag von SPHENISCO seit vielen Jahren erfolgreich Umweltbildung in Regionen, in denen Humboldt-Pinguine leben. In den Küstendörfern in der Nähe des „Archipels Humboldt“ gibt es ein solches Angebot bisher nicht. Karen Quezada soll deshalb ein Bildungsprogramm für Schulen der Gemeinde La Higuera initiieren und in Absprache mit den Verantwortlichen realisieren.

Diese Aktivitäten und Projekte stärken die Bemühungen um Umwelt- und Artenschutz in der Region Coquimbo, sie helfen den Bewohnern der Küstendörfer ihre Existenzgrundlagen zu verteidigen und tragen dazu bei – so hoffen wir -, dass endlich die dringend erforderliche Meeresschutzzone mit multipler Nutzung ausgewiesen und nachhaltig gestaltet wird.

W.K.

"Dominga" the big deceit - World Natural Heritage as an object of speculation

Landau September 15, 2021.

This article is based on the article "Dominga, el Gran Engaño: ex Jefe de la Unidad de Geología de CMP afirma que Proyecto No es Viable Económicamente" in the online journal "Vocería virtual" (1). The article focuses on the aspects "quality of ore deposits", "production costs" and "history of the Dominga mine". Along these keywords, the interview of the Chilean journalist Lucía Escobar with the geologist Mario Rojo Lara is summarized.

In 2013, the company Andes Iron applied for the mining and port project "Dominga" in the region of Coquimbo, northern Chile. The project endangers one of the most valuable ecosystems in the world and has strongly been opposed by environmentalists since then. On their website (2) Andes Iron advertise that they produce high-quality and competitive iron ore and copper products. The investment costs are quantified at US$ 2.5 million. In mid-August, the online newspaper Vocería virtual (1) reported that this information is false. The Chilean newspaper bases its publication on investigations and expertise of the geologist Mario Rojo Lara. Being an experienced and recognized expert in uranium and iron ore mining, he worked at the Chilean Nuclear Energy Commission (CCHEN) for 11 years and at Compañía Minera del Pacífico (CMP), the largest iron ore producer on the Pacific coast of the Americas for 32 years. At CMP, he was head of the geological department for a decade before retiring.

The retired geologist knows the Dominga project very well. As head of the geology department of Compañía Minera del Pacífico (CMP), he had to review the project because it should be sold to CMP by Latin American Cooper company, the former owner. In addition, ore deposits of CMP and "Dominga" are located right next to each other, they rest on the same deposits (El Tofo district). The quality of the raw materials is evaluated by the retired geologist as follows:

Dominga is not economical

As mentioned, the company Andes Iron state on their website that they want to produce high quality and competitive products (iron ore and copper). The investment costs are quantified at US$ 2.5 million.

When the price of iron boomed in the late 2000s, Mario Rojo's department conducted metallurgical tests. These tests showed that the rock mass of their deposits were of poor quality (low concentration). As a result, the (weight) yield from the mining is too low to obtain a saleable product. For this reason, CMP canceled their research.

Then Andes Iron offered to sell the Dominga mine to CMP. The iron ore producer tested the deposits and confirmed what they already knew. After this failure "Dominga" was to be sold to Mitsubishi in Japan. At that time, however, the Japanese company was advised on all iron ore projects in South America by CMP - another flop. The next step was to sell to Chinese companies. China, however, does not exploit their own deposits which are of low quality. Why then should Chinese companies mine low-grade ore in remote countries? The Chinese have not made an offer either.

Technical Problems

The "Dominga" deposit (El Tofo district) consists of magnetite mineralized tuff. The material is below the cut-off grade (lowest grade of a raw material that is still considered to be worth mining). That means that the production costs are too high to achieve a profit. The average iron ore content of Dominga is 23%. In comparison: the average grade of the El Romeral mine near La Serena is 52%. So there much less rock has to be moved to extract iron ore.

The copper content of the Dominga mine is 0.09%. In copper mining, as little as 0.1% is considered to be unusable. Andes Iron have unusable rock, but declare it as a resource. With an iron content of 23%, Andes Iron can only extract an iron concentrate that does not meet international requirements. On international markets, the standard is 67-69 % total iron. "Dominga", however, can only reach maximum values of 64-65%. There does not seem to be much difference between 64% and 67%. However, it is necessary to know that enormously high penalties are imposed for every percentage point of iron which is not contained in the offered concentrate. Therefore, selling a 67% concentrate is much better than selling a 65% concentrate, since penalties for deviations exponentially affect the price.

Andes Iron aim to produce 12 million tons of iron concentrate per year. For that, in the meantime a capital requirement of only US$ 2.5 million is stated. Originally, Andes Iron had estimated US$ 3.2 million. This reduction has a simple reason: In mining, an investment of more than US$ 3 million represents a high risk. In order to attract investors, the capital requirements have been "adjusted". However, with this amount of money, mining at the Dominga mine is technically not feasible. According to calculations by the geologist Mario Rojo, the costs for a port and filtration plant, desalination plant and production costs amount to at least US$ 3.35 million. This does not even include the necessary stock market launch.

In response to journalist Lucía Escobar's question about whether information on ore grades or capital costs can be given arbitrarily without government agencies confirming the data, Mario Rojo clarifies: "The Servicio Nacional de Geología y Minería (Sernageomin) or any other public body do not interfere. You can declare whatever you want. You can make up a project, and if it is convincing, you can even sell it. Although there is a peer review (a quality assurance process by independent experts from the same field) as in science, there is no obligation to conduct one. Andes Iron, of course, are not interested in peer reviews. So an investor has to hire own experts to review the project point by point.

In this context, the geologist recalls the major scandal involving the gold mine Bre-X in Indonesia. No ore was found there. That's why they cheated and gold was spread over the samples. After the scandal, mineral trading floors were established in Canada and Australia with credibility testing standards. When a mining company is questioned for misleading investors, the whole country is called into question, and the image of the country deteriorates. Andes Iron's approach therefore discredits the image of Chilean mining, which is so enormously important to Chile.

Pure speculation

The geologist Mario Rojo Lara describes "the "Dominga Mine Project" as pure speculation. It is not a real „mining project". The project began in the mid-2000s. The mine belonged to the Latin American Cooper company. At the time, geologist Iván Garrido worked for them. The British investors conducted a few surveys that did not yield significant results. They therefore considered the project unprofitable despite discrete copper and gold anomalies in the iron-bearing material.

In 2009, Garrido and the Larraín Vial Group founded „Minería Activa“, an investment fund for mining companies. Soon Larraín Vial were able to attract well-known, influential families such as the Piñera Morel family and the Délano Méndez family as investors. The "Minería Activa" fund bought the Dominga mine. In 2010, the year when Sebastián Piñera became president, Andes Iron acquired the mine. Iván Garrido took over the position of Chairman of the Board and General Director, which he held until December 2020.

Although the "iron business" is very difficult, the group bought Larraín Vial without consulting with experts in the industry. The geologist Iván Garrido, however, does not have the relevant experience and also does not communicate with colleagues in the industry. He neither has in-depth knowledge of the production nor of the market. Together with his friend, the geologist Armando Signa, he "made up" the project. Iván Garrido and Armando Signa, however, are primarily financial consultants and not mining entrepreneurs.

Andes Iron are in debt and therefore have to hurry to attract investors. Also for this reason the environmental problem had to be solved. In this respect, the worries were not particularly big. It was assumed that the current government under President Sebastián Piñera would solve the environmental problem. The real worries, on the other hand, were the technical problems (see above). When these problems could no longer be overlooked, confidence was withdrawn from Iván Garrido. He was dismissed.

Mario Rojo estimates that about $250 million have been invested in the Dominga project so far - a small amount for mining. Expenditures include costs for professional studies, renting very nice offices in "Sanhattan" and a lot of lobbying. Andes Iron could have promoted the project without a lot of media hype and thus causing chaos which has brought Chilean mining into disrepute. Any outsider who examines Andes Iron's figures will recognize the false statements. Therefore, the company will not find a buyer that will make investments profitable.

The port alone could save the project. If the Agua Negra tunnel (3) is built to get from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean, it will be a big deal. But the construction of the tunnel will be implemented in 20 years at the earliest. It takes at least seven years to launch a mining project, if everything goes well and Andes Iron comply with the law. Usually, investors, however, insist on separating the seaside project, the port, from the land project. Therefore, the port company cannot subsidize the mining company.

The geologist Mario Rojo sums it up: "In the Dominga project, some very serious mistakes were made".

Notes:

(1) Vocería virtual 17. August 2021. Dominga, el Gran Engaño: ex Jefe de la Unidad de Geología de CMP afirma que Proyecto No es Viable Económicamente
https://www.voceriavirtual.cl/2021/08/dominga-el-gran-engano-ex-jefe-de-la.html

(2) Website Andes Iron
https://www.andesiron.com/?lang=en.

(3) Agua-Negra Tunnel
https://www.worldhighways.com/wh10/wh8/feature/agua-negra-tunnel-between-chile-andargentina

G.K. & W.K.

translated by Angelika Veelken

No to ecocide - #NoaDominga

La Serena 15th of August 2021.

On Wednesday, 11th of August 2021, the Commission for Environmental Impact Assessment (COEVA) of the Coquimbo region approved - to the astonishment of the whole country - in an extraordinary session, with 11 votes in favor and one against, the mining and port project Dominga of the company Andes Iron. This is despite the fact that four civil society organizations have appealed to the Corte Suprema (Supreme Court) against the ruling issued in this matter by the Antofagasta Environmental Court in April of this year. The Supreme Court's decision is still pending. This is the first time that this commission has approved a project without waiting for the decision of the Corte Suprema.

The Antofagasta Environmental Court accepted the mining company's appeal and ordered the COEVA (Commission for Environmental Impact Assessment) to revote on the project based on the previous assessment report (ICE). In other words, to repeat the vote and overturn the two rejections of the project, the first in March 2017 by the regional government and the second in August of the same year by the Committee of Ministers (note1).

To make clear the great importance of Wednesday's COEVA vote and decision, and to understand why this irregular operation represents a renewed and perhaps more serious threat to the "Humboldt Archipel" ecosystem in the community of La Higuera, it is necessary to state some facts:

1. Pablo Hermann, President Piñera's appointee (new position since the 2021 reform regarding governors) was the only one who voted against the project. His reasoning: he opposes the "Dominga Project" until it is limited to one port of loading in the Coquimbo region. He asked the companies (Andes Iron and Compañía Minera del Pacífico (CMP)) to agree to operate only one port in the area. That means, the Commission for Environmental Impact Assessment (COEVA) supports and promotes the Cruz Grande port in Chungungo of the company CMP. This port was also approved in 2015 under political pressure with numerous irregularities, like the port of Dominga.
2. It should be borne in mind that the construction permit for the Cruz Grande Port has since lapsed, as construction did not begin within the 5-year period provided for in the environmental law. Nevertheless, the company insists that the permit is still valid.
3. The Dominga Project was and is now being approved again on the basis of a professional opinion prepared in March 2017, four and a half years ago. The opinion was prepared by professionals in Santiago and was designed to favor the approval of the project. The expertise of the responsible experts in the region was not only not taken into account, it was deliberately bypassed.
4. The COEVA (Commission for Environmental Impact Assessment) was convened by the president Piñera's designee. It consists of ten regional ministerial secretaries, all appointed by the current president. Until 2010, the president was also the majority owner of Andes Iron. He is a close friend of the current owner, Carlos Delano, who was sentenced to 99 hours of ethics courses for repeated tax violations.
5. The question remains as to what the responsible parties will do to enable the company Andes Iron to abandon the planned port in Totorallo Norte, as announced. To do this, it is necessary to circumvent institutional conditions, since environmental law requires that the environmental impact assessment process be restarted when a project is modified.
6. The environmental impact assessment system has yielded to the pressure of the mining company and the current government agencies in favor of private interests and to the detriment of nature and people. The threatened marine protected areas are of inestimable and irreplaceable value, they are globally crucial for biodiversity. The realization of the mine project also has serious consequences on land. It can cause the groundwater to dry up irreversibly. This would damage habitats of plants and animals of great biological importance and deprive the population of access to water for daily and agricultural needs.

What happens next?

There are 2 parallel ways.

Civic organizations and Oceana appealed the Antofagasta Environmental Court's ruling in favor of the Dominga project to the Supreme Court in April of this year. The court's decision is still pending. In addition, civil society groups will take legal action against COEVA's approval of the project.

It is important to clarify that the project has already been rejected by two official instances and is currently still under review at the Supreme Court. If the Supreme Court upholds the appeals, the 11th of August vote will be invalid.

The approval of the project on 11th of August in no way implies a building permit. It only enables the processing of sectoral permits.

Community civil societies and environmentalists are determined not to give up until the plans "Dominga Mine" cease to exist. They call on citizens not to be deceived, to remain extremely alarmed and active. The decision of the Commission for Environmental Impact Assessment is a national disgrace, even more so considering that we are in a climate crisis.

Nancy Duman
(Sphenisco Chile)

Note

(1) see article "Waiting for a decision" of April 25, 2021 with " Declaration of 21 April 2021".

Protests and actions against the decision

Landau, 18th of August 2021. During the decision on August 11, Alianza Humboldt and Defensa ambiental 4th region demonstrated in front of the regional government headquarters in La Serena and read a declaration. Many organizations and institutions reacted quickly and published protest notes, including. CONAF, Coquimbo Region (Corporación Nacional Forestal, responsible for conservation), FENATRAMA - workers of the Ministry of Environment and SEA (responsible for environmental impact audits), ANFUMMA - Association of Officials of the Ministry of Environment, Sernapesca, Coquimbo Region (Servicio Nacional de Pesca y Acuicultura, Fisheries Agency), the National Servicio de Evaluación Ambienta (SEA, responsible for environmental impact audits), National Park workers, Union of copper miners. In the past, there were no such public protests from authorities and public service employees. They mark a new quality of public discussion in Chile.

The following actions are planned for the next few weeks:

• Handing over a letter of protest to the Commission for Environmental Impact Assessment,
• Demonstration in front of the office of the company Andes Iron with delivery of a letter,
• Funeral procession from Chanaral de Aceituno to La Serena (distance 120 km!),
• Action days in all coastal villages of the municipality of La Higuera,
• weekly information stand on Av. Francisco de Aguirre in La Serena,
• Online and live concerts in support of the protests.

Analyzing the approach and public relations of Andes Iron, the following assumption suggests itself: The company is keen to launch the port and mining project during President Piñera's term in office if possible. Chile's elections are in November 2021, with the inauguration of the new president in March 2022. It is not possible to conclude the legal disputes in the remaining 6 months. If the "Dominga" project is to be launched during President Piñera's term in office, this will only be possible if laws and institutional conditions are once again circumvented. The call not to be fooled, to remain extremely alarmed and active is probably more than justified.

W. K.

translated by Claudia Wirth