You can read all the latest news and updates on the Cook Islands seabed minerals sector here.
Public discussion on seabed minerals has raised questions about transparency, representation, science, and decision-making. Here is where the Cook Islands currently stands, what the law requires, and why the country remains in an exploration-only phase. Those questions are fair. People should expect answers that are clear, straight, and respectful.
Read MoreThe Seabed Minerals Authority (SBMA) recently completed korero outreach to the Northern Group, revisiting the islands of Tongareva, Manihiki, Rakahanga and Pukapuka as part of its ongoing commitment to community dialogue, public awareness, and relationship-building across the Cook Islands.
Read MoreSeabed mining is no longer a distant ambition for the Cook Islands, as at last week’s Pacific Agenda: Investment, Security and Shared Prosperity summit in Hawaii, it was pushed into the geopolitical spotlight with Cook Islands leaders declaring global leadership, clearing diplomatic roadblocks and indicating that movement, not moratorium, is the direction ahead.
The two-day summit was held behind closed doors with Pacific media, including Cook Islands News, present at the event.
Read MoreWashington is tearing down bureaucratic barriers that have delayed investment and financing in the Pacific, as the United States looks to deliver swifter results from its renewed engagement with the region.
United States deputy secretary of state Christopher Landau made this comment in response to a question from Cook Islands News at the conclusion of the two-day “Pacific Agenda: Investment, Security and Shared Prosperity Summit” in Honolulu, Hawaii, this week.
Read MoreThe Seabed Minerals Authority (SBMA) Seabed Minerals (SBM) Advisory Committee members were formally appointed on Tuesday, 17 February, at the Cabinet Room, Office of the Prime Minister, in a decorum that marked an important milestone in strengthening community representation within the seabed minerals sector.
Read MoreA new study suggests the economic benefits of seabed mining in the Cook Islands have been exaggerated, countering government claims that the industry will generate millions in revenue.
Read MoreAt the heart of the Seabed Minerals Authority (SBMA) is our Seabed Minerals Commissioner, Mrs Beverly Stacey Ataera - a leader whose story blends international expertise with deep cultural belonging.
Read MoreThe Seabed Minerals Authority (SBMA) yesterday hosted a hybrid seminar at the University of the South Pacific, Rarotonga campus, bringing together eight international experts from the United States, Denmark, New Zealand, Australia, and China to discuss the latest advances in understanding seabed sediment plumes—clouds of particles that may be generated during seabed minerals extraction. Around 35 participants joined in person and online.
Read MoreThe Seabed Minerals Authority (SBMA), which governs seabed mineral activities under the Seabed Minerals Act 2019 (SBMA Act), emphasises that no commercial extraction can occur without extensive approvals.
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