Delays in the seabed minerals exploration and research are expected due to opposition and the efficiency of the regulatory system, says one of the three deep sea mining companies exploring the Cook Islands seabed.
Read MoreYou can read all the latest news and updates on the Cook Islands seabed minerals sector here.
An online opinion poll on deep sea mining has been criticised by the government regulator responsible for overseeing seabed minerals activities in the Cook Islands as “fundamentally flawed”.
Read MoreCook Islands Prime Minister and former chair of the Forum, Mark Brown is urging Pacific Island leaders to come together on a collective stance on deep-sea mining, ahead of a key talanoa session set for next month.
Read MoreA Cook Islands delegation, led by Assistant Minister to the Prime Minister, Honourable Sonny Williams, attended the International Seabed Authority's (ISA) 29th Council and Assembly Sessions, held in Kingston, Jamaica, from 15 July to 2 August. The Commissioner Alex Herman and Senior Knowledge Management Officer Rima Browne from the Seabed Minerals Authority (SBMA) attended the Council meetings and were later joined by the Assistant Minister and Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Immigration, Foreign Service Officer, Tatryanna Utanga, for the Assembly.
Read More“As Cook Islanders and Pacific peoples, we have an imbedded culture of conservation and environmental management over our land and sea. This has enabled us to sustainably use our marine resources while also ensuring its protection. We have been doing this for centuries. We are conservationists.” This was the message Prime Minister Mark Brown conveyed during his recent attendance at the Our Ocean conference held in Athens, Greece.
Read MoreTe-Ara Henderson, Senior Policy and Legal Officer of the Cook Islands Seabed Minerals Authority (SBMA) attended Part I of the 29th Session of the Council. The Council sessions are hosted three times a year at the headquarters of the International Seabed Authority (ISA) in Kingston, Jamaica. The Cook Islands is a member state and sponsoring state of an Exploration Licence in the Clarion-Clipperton Zone.
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