The fishkill on October 26 to 29, 2007 is the fifth since Lafayette started operation. Previous fishkills happened on these dates

October 11, 2006 – exposed to the public after attempts by Lafayette at cover up

October 31, 2006 – exposed to the public after attempts by Lafayette at cover up

July 20, 2007 – not made known to the public but contained in the Technical Working Group Report on the “test” runs

First week of October 2007 – reported by Social Action Center of Legazpi Diocese

Download detailed notes on Oct 2007 fish kill

Download PowerPoint of 2005 fishkills incidents

A study conducted by Ibon Foundation on February 14-19, 2007 and released on April 23, 2007 shows that fish catch in five villages close to the mine site has declined precipitously because of the previous incidents of fish kills.

The impact on the livelihood of the fisherfolks was a loss of income ranging from 33% to 89% depending on the area

... while Lafayette makes a killing in digging up and shipping out the treasures of Rapu-Rapu

While the people of Rapu-Rapu suffer a big decline in their incomes, the Australian executives and their Filipino managers earned as much as US$ 892,000 in 2007 from Lafayette alone.
 

Lafayette expects to dig up and ship out annually for 8 years the following treasures of Rapu-Rapu: ►►►

● 10,000 tonnes of copper
● 14,000 tonnes of zinc
● 50,000 ounces of gold
● 600,000 ounces of silver
 

This translates to treasures of Rapu-Rapu worth US$ 1,352,192,000 ►

or about  P 60 billion (at P45/$)

 

How much does Lafayette intend to share with Albay? At most only 2.35%
 

And then the Lafayette owners leave for home to enjoy the riches of RapuRapu while the people have to make do of what is left behind, a barren earth.

Download power point of the above
 

Do mining communities in Benguet become more prosperous than non-mining communities?

Arturo C. Boquiren, Asst. Professor of Economics at UP-Baguio, made a study of the Benguet mining communities. Here are his conclusions:

1.  The overall conclusion that can be constructed from this exposition is that non-mining areas perform at least just as "good" as mining areas.

2.  It is also valid to conclude that where corporate mining operate in Benguet, poverty incidence is in fact higher and not lower.

Arkibong Bayan's question: If the Benguet communities do not become rich with the treasures that mine workers dug up from the bowels of the earth, then who become rich?

Download paper by Prof. Boquiren

Photos courtesy of KALIKASAN

www.kalikasan.org

Video 1

Video 2

Video 3

■   Scientists raise alam about Rapu-Rapu fishkill

■   Bulatlat: Green Groups Challenge Lafayette, Arroyo Administration: Open Up Mine Site for Investigation into Rapu-Rapu Fish Kills

■   Defend Patrimony:While Aussie mining firm gets away with plunder. Hunger, seafood poisoning hits Rapu-Rapu folk after fish kills

■   Various Kalikasan statements on the fishkill

■   Report on the Rapu-Rapu Fishkill on October 28, 2007 and Days Thereafter by the Rapu-Rapu Alliance

■   Sagip-Isla Petitions

■   UMALPAS KA Press Release

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