WELLINGTON, New Zealand,
May 8, 2018 /CNW/ - Chatham Rock
Phosphate Limited (TSXV: "NZP" and NZAX: "CRP" or the
"Company") wishes to advise shareholders that an ocean study
by NIWA (National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research)
announced this week is particularly relevant to our proposed marine
phosphate recovery operation on the Chatham Rise.
NIWA has advised that one of the most challenging scientific
underwater experiments it has ever attempted is taking place this
month on the Chatham Rise. At least nine separate highly
specialised pieces of equipment will be deployed from NIWA's
research vessel Tangaroa, in water up to 500m deep. The equipment includes an underwater
glider, three undersea observational platforms known as benthic
landers, a multi-corer to take sediment samples, seabed moorings,
water column sampling equipment, an underwater camera that will be
towed above the seafloor and a "benthic disturber".
The aim of the voyage is to disturb a small area of the seabed
and create a sediment plume using the benthic disturber. The
dispersal of the plume will then be monitored, and surveys before
and after the disturbance will measure the effects on the seabed
animals. The data collected will be used to build up a picture of
how the biological communities on the seabed may be affected by the
sediment stirred up by mining or bottom trawl fishing.
Uncertainty about the effects of sediment plumes has contributed
to applications for seabed mining being declined and the plumes are
also an environmental concern for sustainable fisheries
certification.
"These activities create plumes of sediment but we don't know
how the sediment affects seabed life as it settles again on the
seafloor, and how much deep-sea animals can withstand. We are doing
this experiment on a small scale on the Chatham Rise but it will
give us a much better idea of how environmental managers and
industry can work to mitigate larger-scale disturbance effects,"
NIWA scientist Dr Malcolm Clark
noted.
Chatham Rock Phosphate CEO Chris
Castle said: "Clearly the outcomes of the disturbance
research are incredibly relevant to our project in that they will
provide real data on the behaviour and effect of plumes generated
when the seafloor is disturbed (by any activity including dredging,
mining and bottom trawling).
"We have already spent very considerable sums modelling how the
plumes will behave so we expect that this real data will further
strengthen our ability to quantify these effects.
"We have been involved with the planning of this project, and
have a representative on board the Tangaroa to help carry out
studies with the NIWA team. We also have other consultants that
will be remotely monitoring some oceanographic data as it is
generated that could assist the survey planning," Mr Castle
said.
About Chatham Rock Phosphate
Chatham Rock Phosphate is the custodian of New Zealand's only material resource of
ultra-low cadmium, environmentally friendly pastoral phosphate
fertiliser. Our key role is connecting the resource with
those who need it.
Using this phosphate will support sustainable farming practices,
including healthier soil profiles and reduced accumulation of the
heavy metal cadmium, reducing carbon emissions and dramatically
lowering runoff to waterways and shrinking fertiliser needs over
time.
The resource represents one of New
Zealand's most valuable mineral assets and is of huge
strategic significance because phosphate is essential to maintain
New Zealand's high agricultural
productivity.
New Zealand's current access to
phosphate is vulnerable to economic and political events in the six
countries controlling 98% of the world's phosphate reserves, with
85% of the total in the Western Saharan state of Morocco.
Chatham takes very seriously
the responsibility vested in it through its mining permit to use
the world's best knowledge and technology to safely extract this
resource to help sustainably feed the world.
Our initial environmental consenting process independently
established extraction would have no significant impact on fishing
yields or profitability, marine mammals or seabirds.
Neither the Exchange, its Regulation Service Provider (as
that term is defined under the policies of the Exchange), or NZX
Limited has in any way passed upon the merits of the Transaction
and associated transactions, and has neither approved nor
disapproved of the contents of this press release.
SOURCE Chatham Rock Phosphate