The national park covers the Quirimbas Archipelago, and a strip of mainland Cabo Delgado. Last week NGOs were raising the spectre that the hunt for oil off the Cabo Delgado shore was a threat to the Quirimbas wildlife.
The administrator of the park, Cesar Santos, disagrees. He told AIM that the environmental impact study undertaken showed that it will be possible "to safeguard the biodiversity of the park by using measures to ensure that no damage is done to the local environment".
"Our point of view is that there is no evidence of any incompatibility between exploring for hydrocarbons and defending the environment of the Cabo Delgado coast", said Santos.
The study had proposed mitigation measures to guard against any risk, and Santos believed "that the governmental and scientific institutions, together with our partners involved in this matter, will monitor compliance with these measures".
NGOs such as the Worldwide Fund for Nature were partners of the Quirimbas Park - but they could not speak in the name of the park, warned Santos. "The only entity that has the authority to speak in the name of the park is the administration appointed by the government", he stressed.
WWF and other NGOs "have provided a lot of support in implementing this park, and we greatly appreciate that", said Santos. "They have every right to express their opinion, to advise, to propose measures - but not to speak on behalf of the park".
During public consultations, NGOs had criticised aspects of the environmental impact report. Santos thought this was perfectly normal during public meetings, "but some newspapers picked up those observations as though they were the verdict on the environmental impact study. But the report on the study will be judged by the Ministry for the Coordination of Environmental Action" (which is the body empowered to give, or refuse, an environmental licence).
Santos admitted that there are "areas of uncertainty" about the impact of hydrocarbon prospection on marine wildlife such as whales, dugongs and turtles. Although it was "legitimate to raise doubts, and request further explanations", Santos pointed out that the prospection was only scheduled to last for a short time.
The entire activity would last for 50 days, of which only 25 were effectively working days.
The prospection would not take place within the boundaries of the Quirimbas Park. "At no time will the vessel do any of its research within the park", he stressed. "That was a recommendation from the government".
There are two offshore prospection areas - one adjacent to the park, and one a long way from the shore, in deep waters. Most of this area would present no problems at all for the park, Santos believed.
Santos said that the public debate around the environmental impact study was useful. It had taken place "in an open and transparent manner, and should be praised for this. Some additional information is being collected, and will be incorporated into the final version of the report".
The environmental impact study was written by a highly respected Mozambican consultancy firm, Impacto, which specialises in environmental matters.
SOURCE: AIM
