‘We know how much damage it can do’
Glace Bay fishermen worried about seismic testing in ocean near Donkin Mine
Concerned fishermen say Kameron Collieries was given the right to mine coal, not kill fish.
Seismic testing is going to begin in the ocean near the Donkin Mine any day now, said Herb Nash, president of the Glace Bay Harbour Authority and president of the 4VN Groundfish Management Board.
“It affects every fish in the ocean within five square kilometres of every side of where they are doing it.”
Nash said seismic testing took place in 1975 in the same area where Kameron Collieries wants to do the more seismic testing now, and he believes the previous testing destroyed the fishery there for years afterwards.
“We know how much damage it can do,” he said. “It took us six years after that before the lobster got back to normal.”
Nash said after fishermen heard about the upcoming testing a few days ago, a meeting was quickly called for the Port Morien fire hall. Donkin Mine manager Shannon Campbell attended that meeting and confirmed the testing would take place, said Nash.
“We are told it could start any day now.”
Nash said he was impressed by Campbell, even though the two men are on different sides on this issue.
“I have nothing but praise for him, he’s really down-to-earth, a decent guy,” Nash said. “We would do what we could to help Donkin Mine, but not at the sake of ruining our fishery.”
Nash said there are 40 to 45 boats between Glace Bay and Port Morien that fish that area over the two months of the lobster season.
“I told Shannon we just had our best year ever down here. We were seeing hundreds and hundreds of spawnees every day — every trap would have three or four spawnees in it.”
Nash said fishermen were told Donkin Mine wants to do this underwater testing — which is done with an air gun — to find where the coal is located underground at this location.
“The sound makes a different noise going through coal or dirt, wood or stone,” Nash said.
Donkin Mine also wants to find out if there are any cavities underground, because as if they dig a mine shaft under the water and there’s a cavity, the ocean could fall in on them, he added.
Nash said the area Donkin wants to test is 55 square kilometres, an area two kilometres offshore to 10 kilometres out.
They have three months to complete 360 hours of testing.
“That would be 360 hours of a steady blast of this air gun for 15 days, if they have good weather.”
Nash said this air gun sound the mine is planning to use can reach 325 decibels. A decibel is a unit which measures how loud a sound is.
“When people talk to each other it is at about 12 decibels, so that shows how loud that blare will be.”
Nash said fish communicate by sound and whales can communicate as far as 100 kilometres apart, and this testing interferes with their ability to do so. Fish use sound to catch their prey.
“They will have a harder time catching something to eat and won’t be able to communicate with each other.”
Nash said a meeting has been set for tonight at the Donkin fire hall at 7 p.m. over fishermen’s concerns with the seismic testing.
Speaking for Donkin Mine, Shannon Campbell said he can’t comment on the issue at this time. “We are engaged in a voluntary consultation process with various stakeholders and, out of respect for all parties, we will not be publicly commenting at this time. “
Stephen Bornais, a spokesperson for Fisheries and Oceans Canada, said a review of Kameron Coal’s proposal to conduct a seismic survey within its lease area offshore of Cape Breton determined it was not likely to result in serious harm to fish or fish habitat or impacts to species at risk.
“Therefore approvals under the Fisheries Act and Species at Risk Act were not required.”
Bornais said the survey is considered small-scale, conducted over a two-week period using only a single air gun.
“No impacts to fisheries are expected because of the relatively low sound levels that will be generated and the limited spatial extent and short-term nature of the survey.”
John Prendergast, of Tower Road, a lobster fisherman for 35 years, said his concerns come from never hearing anything good about seismic testing.
“The fishermen have no problem with coal mining here, Cape Breton has had coal mines for hundreds of years,” he said.
“This seismic testing is a little scary for fishermen because we don’t know enough about it. All we hear is negative things like the harm it does to fish and eggs.”
Prendergast said fishermen want more information.
Dist. 8 Coun. Amanda McDougall said there is community concern about the seismic testing Donkin Mine will be undertaking.
“That has caused concern for local fishermen, and rightfully so,” she said.