Peru to track illegal mining with French satellite

The Peruvian government, which has been battling the country's illegal mining sector since 2011, will use a newly acquired US$213mn French satellite to track deforestation in national parks and other protected areas.

The Airbus Astrosat-300 submetric satellite will provide the government with updated images of remote Amazon jungle areas, said Pedro Gamboa, head of the national service for protected natural areas (Sernanp). Sernanp will sign an agreement to share information with Peru's national commission on aerospace research and development (Conida), Gamboa said.

"The images will indicate if there's deforestation," Gamboa told state news agency Andina. "Then it's up to Sernanp to verify if this deforestation is natural or is caused by illegal activities."

The satellite is scheduled to be launched by Arianespace from Kourou, French Guiana, next May, according to the French embassy in Lima.

Sernanp will receive a 4.5mn-sol (US$1.4mn) trust fund to help combat illegal mining operations in three protected natural areas in Madre de Dios region: Tambopata, Bahuaja-Sonene and Amarakaeri, according to Gamboa. The fund was set up by state energy and mines regulator Osinergmin, he said.

The announcement came as Washington-based NGO Amazon Conservation Association released a satellite map showing illegal gold mining operations have spread into the Amarakaeri communal reserve, a 402,336ha Amazon jungle area managed by the Harakmbut, Yine and Matsiguenka indigenous communities.

Since taking office in July 2011, President Humala has sought to formalize an estimated 200,000 informal miners and set up military bases and units to control the flow of fuel, chemicals and machinery to illegal mining operations in the Amazon, curb exports of illegally produced gold and destroy unauthorized river dredges and gold mills.

Illegal miners, who produced about 12% of Peru's 161t of gold output in 2012, the latest available figures, generate about US$3bn in annual revenue, according to the energy and mines ministry (MEM).