Environment

In conjunction with our local communities SRL has developed a number of initiatives that are starting to show success.

The Darwin Initiative, which consisted of twenty quarter of a hectare experimental plots, designed to help develop a sustainable strategy for the rehabilitation of current and historic mine works at SRL ended in November 2009.  As part of the initiative several types of trees which have the potential to produce economic benefits for local communities were planted.  The Company is now observing the plant growth rates on these plots and will develop a future strategy for mine site rehabilitation based on the results.

SRL’s own programme for mine works rehabilitation has resulted in the creation of four half acre experimental plots using a variety of sand to clay ratio mixtures as backfill material for growing cashew seedlings.  The Company will examine how these seedlings grow to determine the optimum clay to sand ratio for plant growth.

Throughout 2009, the Company worked with a number of expert advisors to design initiatives which will create future employment through sustainable agricultural developments in local communities.  As part of these initiatives the Company planted a 2 hectare test plot of sugarcane prior to the start of the 2010 rainy season in Sierra Leone.  Over the next 12 months, the Company and its advisors will survey the plot and carry further soil tests to assess whether there is the potential for future commercial sugarcane production.

The Company has continued its trial aquaculture project for the rehabilitation of mined out ponds which was started in April 2008.  Two separate crops of fish were harvested during the year, and a total of 5,856 brooders and 50,991 juvenile fish were stocked in the Bamba-Belebu pond near Moriba Town.