...I would not exploit natural resources at the expense of others

This past summer, I visited Madagascar for 7 weeks in a region in the southeast of the country. While I was there, I got talking to a local man about the economy in the area and he talked about how Rio Tinto had started working in the area and all the negative effects that had occurred as a result. Near the end of the trip, tensions were high in Fort Dauphin (the main city in the south) due to rising prices and inequality. Apparently, things have only escalated since and last month, there were protests in Fort Dauphin. Hundreds of locals, armed with slingshots and spears were protesting against Rio Tinto, and the negative impacts the mining operations in the area have caused for local people. The protesters trapped 200 of the mine’s workers in buildings for days until the protests were broken up by the Malagasy military, who sprayed tear gas into the crowd.

Mining Operations in Fort Dauphin

Rio Tinto first started exploring the mining potential of Fort Dauphin in the 1980s. The area around Fort Dauphin is rich in ilmenite, which is used for titanium dioxide production. Titanium dioxide is used in several common products such as toothpaste, sunscreen, or white paint. QIT Madagascar Minerals (QMM) was created and is 80% owned by QIT- a subsidiary of Rio Tinto, based out of Quebec and 20% owned by the Government of Madagascar. The minerals mined in Madagascar are shipped to the company in Quebec where they are processed. The mine was constructed in January 2006, but seven years later, the local people are not seeing the benefits they were promised.

When the mine first started constructing, thousands of subsistence farmers in the area were relocated to the city. The company purchased 400 hectares of land, which was sold for between 100 and 6000 Malagasy ariary (CAN $0.05- $2.82) per square kilometer. Since 92% of people in the Fort Dauphin area live on less than $1/day, this seemed like quite a bit of money at the time. However, now the money has run out and those displaced cannot afford the rising prices of goods and services in Fort Dauphin. Many protesters who were displaced are now demanding more money, with a minimum price of 3000 ariary per square meter.

A number of environmental impacts have occurred from the mine. In the area where the mine works is the littoral forest, one of the most biologically diverse areas in the world. 90% of the species in the area are endemic to Madagascar and QMM has cut down a vast amount of forest in the area. Fishermen also complain that chemicals released by the mining operations are killing fish off the coast, and they are now struggling to maintain their livelihoods.

Check out this video about impacts of mining in Fort Dauphin:

Beautiful Saint Luce

Part of the protesting was regarding the lack of locals employed at the mine. Although Rio Tinto says 70% of the workers are locals, Zatinandro Perle Fourquet, who led the protest, says that only 10% of the workers are actually locals.

QMM also talks of possibly starting a new mine in St. Luce, an oceanfront community slightly northeast of Fort Dauphin. I visited this village and building a mine would have huge impacts in this area. Much of the forest there is still untouched and the main income for the area is fishing. I feel that this project would have a similar impact to what has happened in Fort Dauphin.

So who should be responsible for the negative aspects of the mining project? Should Canada take responsibility for the part QIT plays in the mining production, or should it be up to Madagascar to set up regulations for mining production in their country? What is clear though is that people are not happy with how things are happening now and something will need to be changed.