Sochi experts: gravel extraction from Ashe River valley threatens disaster for Shapsugs

Black Sea Circassians and Shapsugs have appealed to the "Adyge Khase" with a request to help in stopping the mining and transporting of sand and gravel from the valley of the Ashe River. The authors of the appeal treat mining and transporting of sand and gravel as illegal.

"The Federal Law 'On Guarantees of the Rights of Indigenous Peoples of the Russian Federation' (Articles 6, 7, and 8) provides that in case of commercial development of natural resources in the places of residence of indigenous peoples, ecological and ethnological assessments are to be held with the participation of representatives of those peoples," the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent was told by Madjid Chachukh, the Chairman of the "Adyge Khase" (public parliament) of the Black Sea Circassians and Shapsugs. And Madjid Chachukh emphasizes: "None of the above has been done until present."

"This situation threatens disappearance of water, ecological catastrophe. The estuaries of the mountain streams are self-cleaning, and people shouldn’t disturb them. In Soviet era, works in the estuaries of mountain streams were forbidden," the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent was told by Aslan Gvashev, the former Deputy Chairman of the organization "Adyge Khase" of the Black Sea Circassians and Shapsugs.

The experts interviewed by the "Caucasian Knot" state that the ongoing development of natural resources puts into question the existence of the Shapsug people as an ethnic group.

"We treat this situation as a catastrophe. Once a nation is pulled out of the native landscape, it ceases to exist," stated Sulieta Kusova-Chukho, the General Director of the centre for ethnic and religious problems of the media at the Russian Union of Journalists.

Full text of the article is available on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’.