Diaspora concerns addressed in NZ seabed mining talks, says PM

The Cook Islands diaspora delegation in New Zealand including Prime Minister Mark Brown at Te Akapuanga Hall in Porirua, Wellington, New Zealand.

Cook Islands Government’s recent consultation tour in New Zealand was a significant success, effectively addressing numerous concerns held by the diaspora regarding seabed mining, says Prime Minister Mark Brown.

The Government’s consultation tour in November 2024 regarding seabed mining has sparked a lively debate within the Cook Islands community, both in the diaspora and at home.

In an interview with this newspaper, Prime Minister Brown described the tour as “very good, excellent”, noting that the opportunity to engage with Cook Islanders in key centres like Auckland, Christchurch, Dunedin, and even Tokoroa, where he became the first sitting Prime Minister to visit, was well received.

Many overseas Cook Islanders expressed their support for seabed mining during the tour, a sentiment that Brown believes reflects a broader view within the diaspora.

However, this support contrasts sharply with the opposition voiced by local environmental groups, Te Ipukarea Society (TIS), Ocean Ancestors and Korero o te Orau, who heavily criticised the government’s stance on seabed mining.

Brown said: “I got a sense that they really appreciated the fact that we took the time to come there and particularly a delegation including Prime Minister to not just go to Auckland but also down to Christchurch to Dunedin and even to Tokoroa where I was told that I was the first sitting Prime Minister from the Cook Islands to visit Tokoroa. So that was a bit of a surprise because there’s a big community of Cook Islanders down there, has been for many years.”

“It was great to be able to explain to them firsthand what we’re doing in the seabed sector because a lot of what they hear is second-hand information, it’s from social media, there was a lot of misunderstanding that they were getting. So being able to set the record straight and provide an explanation of what we’re doing but also answer some queries that they had, I think it was very worthwhile to be able to talk to our people about that and give them an opportunity to have some comments as well.”

Brown acknowledged that while there were some environmental concerns raised during the consultations, particularly over the potential damage to the oceans, the government’s approach has been precautionary.

“There were of course those that had views on not supporting anything to do with the seabed purely from an environmental perspective. They were concerned about the potential damage to the oceans,” he explained.

“We were able to explain the process that we are taking, the precautionary approach, the science and evidence-based decision-making to see how we could seize the opportunities of this tremendous resource that we sit on, that our country has.”

A Cook Islander, who attended one of the consultations in New Zealand and did not want to be named, told this newspaper that many of the diaspora queried the government on whether the environmental concerns are prioritised in the process.

“Many people were and still are not supporting this initiative and it looks like they are going through with their plans to mine the sea which basically means our concerns are not valid anymore and what we’re fighting for,” the person said.

PM Brown emphasised that the consultations provided a valuable opportunity to clarify misunderstandings, particularly as much of the information circulating among the diaspora was second-hand or influenced by social media.

He believes that explaining the process of seabed mining and its evidence-based, scientific approach has helped to alleviate some of the concerns.

Despite the divided opinion, the Prime Minister reinforced that it is crucial for the country to seize the opportunities offered by the seabed resources, while ensuring that the environmental impacts are managed responsibly.

“We are cautious about what we do, we’re mindful about our role as custodians and guardians of our ocean. But we’re also mindful that we have a responsibility to our people that if there is an opportunity to help support our people through this resource that we do it in a way that ensures the sustainability of our ocean and also our resource,” Brown said.

“We cannot just sit idly by and allow an opportunity like this to pass.”

Written by Talaia Mika | Published in Economy, Local, National