Erromango Cultural Association opposes proposed mining prospecting licence
February 24, 2026 9:55 pm | Posted in Business News | Share now TwitterFacebook
Compiled by Terence Malapa.
The Erromango Cultural Association (ECA) has voiced serious concern regarding a proposed mining prospecting licence covering large areas of Erromango Island, calling on responsible authorities to reject it.
For more than 50 years, the ECA has worked as a grassroots organisation dedicated to documenting and preserving Erromango’s rich cultural heritage for present and future generations.
In collaboration with the Vanuatu Kaljoral Senta (VKS), including through the Filwoka network, and with leading researchers and archaeologists, the Association notes that more than 200 cultural, historic, and tabu areas have been documented, with hundreds more yet to be recorded. This work builds on the legacy of respected somul elders such as the late James Atnelo, Sempet Naritantop, and Jerry Taki Uminduru.
The proposed prospecting area, outlined in a 30-day public notice issued on 3 February 2026, appears to cover the entire coastline of Erromango and extend significantly into the island’s interior.
The Association is concerned that notice of the proposal was circulated only via the island’s online community page and word-of-mouth.
“Our objection is simple,” ECA Chair Roy Netvurak said. “Any prospecting will deny present and future generations of Erromangans the right to enjoy and care for the landscape as our ancestors did.”
Erromango’s cultural landscape spans more than 3,200 years of history and includes a distinctive tradition of pottery. Cultural narratives, sacred knowledge, and ancestral presence are embedded throughout the island – in its trees, rocks, streams, swamps, and surrounding reefs.
The Association emphasises its guiding philosophy of sesye, naromprom, nalcolki— a worldview that affirms the inseparable relationship between people, land, sea, and sky.
“This is not simply about one licence application,” the spokesperson added. “Granting a prospecting licence would begin a slippery slope toward cultural erosion and irreversible loss. It would undermine not only the ethos of Erromango but also the Constitution of Vanuatu’s commitment to protecting our diverse cultures and ways of life.”
The ECA calls on relevant authorities to carefully consider the extensive cultural, historical, and community evidence submitted and to reject the proposed prospecting licence.
