Dr. Annette Lanjouw of International Gorilla Conservation Program Speaks at National Press Club

Annette Lanjouw, Director of the International Gorilla Conservation Program (IGCP), told the National Press Club Friday that mining for Coltan is presenting a new threat to conservation in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo. This issue strikes close to home in the United States, because Coltan is a rare earth metal used in numerous consumer electronics products, computer components, and advanced aviation and aerospace industries.

As in other extraction activities (lumbering, diamond mining, gold mining), Lanjouw notes that Coltan is attractive to local people with little or no source of subsistence income. She says that Coltan mining is causing the construction of roads and the building of camps for the miners and their families near the borders of protected areas. This causes depletion of the forests, because trees are cut for fuel for fires and shelter. Bush meat is also overhunted. So far, says Lanjouw, these activities are not taking place in protected areas of the Virunga region, the United Nations World Heritage Sites where mountain gorillas live. However, she notes, Coltan mining is a new and added pressure on the mountain gorilla habitats and must be closely monitored.

Lanjouw says she believes there can be a workable balance between mining and conservation activity, but it will require regulation and the cooperation of local officials. So far, she says there continues to be cooperation among the three nations surrounding the mountain gorilla habitats.

Speaking to the National Press Club's Newsmaker Program, Lanjouw reported that new census numbers indicate an increase in the mountain gorilla population despite nearly a decade of civil war in the region. "This tells us that our efforts are working," she says. "While this is excellent news, we must continue to work with local people and local authorities to ensure the safety of the mountain gorillas and, at the same time, help to make their continued presence a benefit to local people and the local economies."

The International Gorilla Conservation Program is sponsored by the African Wildlife Foundation, the World Wide Fund for Nature, and Flora and Fauna International.

Live audio of Dr. Lanjouw's press club appearance is now available through the National Press Club's multimedia gallery.