Biodiversity Management

BIODIVERSITY MANAGEMENT PLAN

Conserving biodiversity

The Halkidiki peninsula is rich in biodiversity, providing a home for an array of endemic, rare and specially protected plants, animals and habitats. In the area surrounding the Project, there are protected conservation areas, all located outside the facilities. 

Hellas Gold has systematically monitored the area’s biodiversity since 2010, with help from experts, including botanists, ornithologists, zoologists, chiropterologists and entomologists. 

We systematically implement a series of actions for the conservation of biodiversity with a focus on the management of endemic and non-endemic flora and fauna. We have also installed an Environmental Monitoring system for supporting the study of sea life. As part of our Biodiversity Management Plan, we run an ecosystem study every 3 years. 

ACTIONS AND MEASURES FOR BIODIVERSITY

Protecting the local flora and fauna

We record and preserve the important plants of the area. Invasive species are also recorded, and we take measures to prevent their spread. 

Our actions for the management of fauna include protecting wildlife inside our mine facilities, installation of bird-deflectors on new power lines and constructing artificial bat and bird roosts in the wider and outside area of the project. 

Reclamation is already underway in historical mining sites. These operations involve reintroducing pre-mining vegetation. Particular emphasis is placed on transporting and storing excavated soil to reuse during reclamation. 

Information & awareness

  • We provide updates and awareness to our employees, continuously training our scientific and technical staff to enhance their knowledge on environmental topics.
  • Our learning activities on the area's biodiversity are available to all employees and contractors.
  • We minimize the impact of artificial lighting on nocturnal species.

GOOD PRACTICES

01.

The seahorse case study

The population of seahorses in coastal Stratoni in northern eastern Halkidiki, is a great case of local biodiversity thriving in harmony with mining operations. 

Focusing on the protection of this ecosystem, we are financing the construction and installation of an undersea monitoring system that keeps track of the population of seahorses in the area. The system operates on a permanent basis providing real-time streaming of data pertaining to seahorses and other species. It collects and classifies general biodiversity data alongside other information and readings. 

02.

The Honey Buzzard (pernis apivorus) case study

Another good-practice case study pertaining to the preservation of local fauna is the management of a nest used by the Honey Buzzard (pernis apivorus) species - a medium sized migratory and predatory bird - identified in a wood logging area inside the Skouries facilities. 

A team from our Environmental Department worked with ornithologists and designated a 100-meter protection zone around the nest of the bird, then mapped the area to prevent any operations that are likely to cause disturbance until the end of the bird's reproductive cycle. 

All operations ceased from the end of May 2023, when we discovered the nest with the two hatchlings and their parents, until the end of August, when the adult birds abandoned their nest.  

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SUSTAINABILITY

GHG Emissions & Climate Change

Energy and climate change are essential to our business, communities, governments and investors. Our parent company, Eldorado Gold, has set an initial target to mitigate 30% of the company’s 2020 GHG emissions by 2030. 

Find out more about GHG Emissions & Climate Change