Prime Minister welcomes At Sea, Sail Out Rally, rejects moratorium

Prime Minister Mark Brown has welcomed the At Sea,Sail Out Rally against deep-sea mining but has expressed reservations about the call for a moratorium on deep-sea activities.

The “peaceful rally” at sea and on land to call for a precautionary pause to deep sea mining is organised by Ocean Ancestors, a collective of individuals, NGOs, and businesses united by their shared passion for protecting the ocean. It will be held this afternoon, starting at 4pm, at the Avarua Harbour (Trader Jacks carpark).

Herman highlights Cook Islands’ seabed minerals progress

The marine minerals community from over 25 countries has gathered in Rarotonga, sharing ideas and knowledge on the future of seabed minerals as the 52nd Underwater Minerals Conference 2024 officially opened yesterday at the National Auditorium.

Cook Islands Seabed Minerals Authority (SBMA) Commissioner, Alex Herman, was amongst 18 experts from eight different countries who presented on various topics revolving around seabed minerals yesterday.

Letter: Nodules: ‘Our underwater Amazon’

I thank Ms Alex (Herman) for her reply to my previous letter regarding DSM (Deep Sea Mining) or SBM (Sea Bed Mining) which is what some are hoping to do in our EEZ.

Letter to the Editor: Govt denies muzzling workers, despite environmentalist claims

The Public Service Commissioner denies any government protocol restricting public servants from speaking publicly against seabed mining, after claims made by an environmental campaigner.

June Hosking, president of the environment group Te Ipukarea Society, claims that government workers, including those in leadership roles, are being restricted from speaking publicly against seabed mining.

Release: Cook Islands reiterates commitments to ocean conservation and management at Our Ocean Conference 2024

“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.

News & Press Releases

The Public Service Commissioner denies any government protocol restricting public servants from speaking publicly against seabed mining, after claims made by an environmental campaigner.