Vegas
04-26-2007, 04:37 PM
http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/story/0,21985,21625755-5012752,00.html
IF you thought snails were relatively harmless, think again.
A New Zealand mining company today said it had lost $NZ25 million ($22.4m) because of a rare snail, which has upset their operations.
Solid Energy said production at their Stockton coal mine, in New Zealand's South Island, had been delayed 19 months after the discovery of land snails.
A company spokeswoman today said that when the endangered snails were first found in 2003 to be living on the ridgeline, where the mining was to occur, it was estimated only 500-1000 of the snails existed.
Since then the company had found 5300 snails, and was paying for the cost to relocate, monitor and protect the molluscs, estimated to cost another $NZ10m ($8.97m).
"We have only relocated so far something like 1500 at the moment and we are going to have to find locations for the others," she said.
In a statement today Solid Energy said when they applied for a wildlife permit in 2005 to mine in the area they could not have foreseen how long the process would take.
"As the snail numbers have risen and necessitated further searches it has become increasingly more difficult to access high quality coal ... we have now had to tell these customers that we can't meet their orders," the mining company said.
The rare snails have meant far less coal has been mined than anticipated.
"Production at Stockton was forecast to total 2.12 million tonnes for the year ended 30 June, but this will now be reduced to between 1.82 and 1.88 million tonnes," the company said.
Anti-mine protesters, rallying against the mine in order to protect the snail and other species, have also caused the company headaches.
Frances Mountier from the Save Happy Valley Coalition said the company should not blame the snails for their losses.
"We think it serves them right. They wanted to push ahead with something that everyone said was not right," Mountier said.
The snails only grow to be about three centimetres in diameter, but are part of a species that includes large carnivorous snails, some of which can grow to have shells nine centimetres in diameter.
IF you thought snails were relatively harmless, think again.
A New Zealand mining company today said it had lost $NZ25 million ($22.4m) because of a rare snail, which has upset their operations.
Solid Energy said production at their Stockton coal mine, in New Zealand's South Island, had been delayed 19 months after the discovery of land snails.
A company spokeswoman today said that when the endangered snails were first found in 2003 to be living on the ridgeline, where the mining was to occur, it was estimated only 500-1000 of the snails existed.
Since then the company had found 5300 snails, and was paying for the cost to relocate, monitor and protect the molluscs, estimated to cost another $NZ10m ($8.97m).
"We have only relocated so far something like 1500 at the moment and we are going to have to find locations for the others," she said.
In a statement today Solid Energy said when they applied for a wildlife permit in 2005 to mine in the area they could not have foreseen how long the process would take.
"As the snail numbers have risen and necessitated further searches it has become increasingly more difficult to access high quality coal ... we have now had to tell these customers that we can't meet their orders," the mining company said.
The rare snails have meant far less coal has been mined than anticipated.
"Production at Stockton was forecast to total 2.12 million tonnes for the year ended 30 June, but this will now be reduced to between 1.82 and 1.88 million tonnes," the company said.
Anti-mine protesters, rallying against the mine in order to protect the snail and other species, have also caused the company headaches.
Frances Mountier from the Save Happy Valley Coalition said the company should not blame the snails for their losses.
"We think it serves them right. They wanted to push ahead with something that everyone said was not right," Mountier said.
The snails only grow to be about three centimetres in diameter, but are part of a species that includes large carnivorous snails, some of which can grow to have shells nine centimetres in diameter.