The Martlet

Canadian fishermen and Nigerian children have one distressing commonality, according to Dr. Kevin Telmer, a UVic professor who recently traveled to Zamfara State in Nigeria: both are vulnerable to the ravages of artisanal and small-scale gold mining (ASGM).

Five hundred children were killed this year in a Zamfara village by lead poisoning — lead that was a byproduct of ASGM. The incident drew international attention to the risks of ASGM. But mercury is a much more common and insidiously harmful byproduct of these small mines, and some of that mercury ends up in Canadian waterways and fish populations. According to Environment Canada, 80 per cent of the mercury deposited on the Canadian landscape comes from foreign sources.

“Small-scale gold mining is the world’s largest source of mercury to the environment,” said Telmer, who is the president of the Artisanal Gold Council (AGC), a Victoria-based non-profit dedicated to improving ASGM practices. Telmer also provides advice to the United Nations (UN) on these operations.

The word “artisanal” often conjures images of a single craftsman handcrafting harmless trinkets, but artisanal gold mining is far less quaint. 10 million small-scale gold miners in 70 countries emit so much mercury that they are a key concern in the UN’s global mercury treaty, which is scheduled to be signed in 2013.

According to Telmer, all Canadians — not just those who catch and consume fish — should be concerned with ASGM.

“Basically, Canadians are the world’s gold miners per capita,” he said. “In some ways, that makes us kind of responsible for the practices of the industry.”

The world’s largest gold mining company, Barrick Gold, is Canadian-owned, and most of the funds for gold exploration are raised on Canadian stock markets.

“The history of small-scale gold mining kind of comes to a focal point in Victoria,” said Telmer, citing the city as a hub for the Yukon and the Fraser gold rushes. “It played a vital role in the development of the west coast, and it’s playing a vital role in the development of a lot of developing countries.”

In spite of the emissions associated with ASGM, Telmer insists that it is an important economic foothold for many impoverished people, and a better means of transferring wealth from the wealthy to the poor than other products. Gold purchased directly from ASGM miners commands about 80 per cent of the price it will be re-sold for; bananas and coffee will fetch a mere two per cent of the their resale value in Victoria.

With this in mind, cleaning up ASGMs, not eliminating them, is the AGC’s goal. Telmer says teaching miners to recycle mercury is the first step. Forming a legal organization of these miners is the second.

To this end, the AGC’s four board members and six staff members organize five two-week trips per year to countries where ASGM is prolific. The AGC sells specially minted gold coins to raise money for these information-gathering trips. What the council is looking for now, says Telmer, is human capital. Volunteers — from master’s students looking for a research project to those with secretarial skills — are needed to help organize fundraisers, manage the AGC’s mercury database and assist in the head office.

“Students are the future, and gold is going to play a significant role in the future,” said Telmer. “Maybe there’s a bright student out there who’s thinking about this in a way that we don’t.”

Whether you’re interested in the issue or not, it’s impossible to get away from gold. In the midst of financial upheaval where people look to the gold standard for stability, Telmer says greater awareness of gold mining practices and uses can only benefit Canadians. Because it’s used in iPhones, computers, drugs and even panes of old stained glass, Telmer says, “It touches us all.”

Those interested in volunteering should contact agc@artisinalgold.org or visit artisanalgold.org for more information.