Environmental Assessment
Volume B-4.3
Mine
Fish and Aquatic Resources
Ambatovy Project
276
January 2006
Closure goals will include introduction of fish into surface water bodies (end pit
lakes), or other re-habilitated environments. A food or ornamental fish industry
may be possible; however the success of these initiatives is unknown.
An overall residual impact classification is presented in Table 4.3-12; the overall
environmental consequence scores were based on the screening system described
in Volume A, Section 7.
Table 4.3-12 Residual Impact Classification for Effects on Artisanal Fisheries
Phase
Direction Magnitude Geographic
Extent
Duration Reversibility Frequency Environmental
Consequence
Effect: Access Change
construction negative
low
local
long-
term
yes
long
low
operations
negative
low
local
long-
term
yes
medium
low
Effect: Changes in Fish Availability or Health
construction negative
low
local
long-
term
no
short
low
operations
negative
low
local
medium-
term
no
medium
low
closure
positive
n/a
n/a
n/a
n/a
n/a
n/a
Effect: Change in Species Composition
operations
neutral
low
local
long-
term
no
low
low
closure
positive
n/a
n/a
n/a
n/a
n/a
n/a
n/a Criteria not rated for positive impacts.
Monitoring
Closure monitoring of species re-introduction and effectiveness will be
conducted to assess the development and success of artisanal fisheries.
4.3.8 Conclusions
Even with on-site conservation areas that include aquatic habitat, high
environmental consequences for rare local aquatic habitat and endemic species
will occur due to residual impacts from construction and operation of the mine.
This finding emphasizes the need for the establishment of off-site compensatory
sites.
