Cook Islands Prime Minister Mark Brown says his government’s stance on deep sea mining might end up in a ‘different vaka’ to New Zealand.

The issue has proved contentious, with various environmental groups, such as Te Ipukarea Society, calling for a moratorium or outright ban on the practice.

CI NEWSDede Mingi14 October 2022Seabed Minerals Authority, Cook Islands, Rarotonga, Moratorium, Prime Minister Mark Brown, New Zealand Foreign Affairs Minister, Nanaia Mahuta, Deep Sea Activities

Stakeholders want tourism and seabed mining included in talks with NZ Minister

Local stakeholders hope tourism, seabed mining and the lack of available flights will be at the forefront of any conversation during New Zealand Foreign Affairs Minister Nanaia Mahuta’s visit to the Cook Islands this week.

CI NEWSDede Mingi11 October 2022Cook Islands Seabed Minerals Authority, New Zealand Foreign Affairs Minister, Nanaia Mahuta, Cook Islands, Rarotonga

SBMA prepares inspectors for exploration expeditions

Cook Islands Seabed Minerals Authority’s (SBMA) held a sea survival training course this week to prepare their inspectors before sending them on exploration vessels as part of its monitoring and compliance programme.

CI NEWSDede Mingi16 September 2022Seabed Minerals Authority, Cook Islands, Rarotonga, Exploration, Sea survival training, Monitoring, Compliance, National Environment Services, Ministry of Transport

MV Seasurveyor at Avatiu Harbour

The first of the Seabed Minerals research vessels berthed at Avatiu Harbour this week. The MV Seasurveyor which is chartered by the CIC Seabed Minerals exploration company arrived on Thursday.

CI NEWSDede Mingi25 June 2022CIC Limited (CIC), CIC Ocean Research Vessel, MV Sea Surveyor, Cook Islands, Rarotonga, Seabed Minerals Exploration, Polymetallic Nodules

LETTERS: Key questions on seabed mining

Dear Editor, reading an article in the paper dated 31.05.22, the Prime Minister touched on the subject of deep sea mining as part of our nation’s plan for diversification.

CI NEWSDede Mingi2 June 2022Seabed Minerals Authority, Deep Sea Activities, Raro, Cook Islands, Polymetallic Nodules

Opinion: Keeping Cook Islands' interest at its core in seabed minerals issues

This week was a historic milestone for the Seabed Minerals Authority (Authority). We announced the three seabed minerals companies that met the qualification criteria in the Act, and would be proceeding to the next stage of the exploration licensing process.

CI NEWSDede Mingi13 November 2021Seabed Minerals Authority, Seabed Minerals Commissioner, Alex Herman, Cook Islands, Rarotonga, Seabed Minerals, Issues, Opinion, Deep Sea Exploration, Research, Cook Islands waters, Due Diligence, decision making, Marae Moana

NGOs snubbed in Seabed Minerals Licensing Panel

The non-inclusion of local non-government environmental and social expertise in the recently announced Seabed Minerals Licensing Panel ‘is an obvious gap’, says a local environment group.

CI NEWSDede Mingi3 October 2021SBMA, Seabed Minerals Authority, Seabed Minerals Licensing Panel, Chairman, Garth Henderson, Financial Secretary, Pamela Maru, Secretary of Marine Resources, Prime Minister Mark Brown

Govt ‘only allowing exploration’

Dear Editor, The recent IUCN call for a moratorium on seabed minerals activities (SBM) highlights the shared concerns of the Government and civil society organisations such as IUCN and Te Ipukarea Society:

CI NEWSDede Mingi20 September 2021Letter to the Editor, IUCN Moratorium, SBMA, Te Ipukarea Society, Seabed Minerals Commissioner, Alex Herman, Cook Islands, Rarotonga

Seabed mining workshop to focus on environmental management

LOCAL government officials, traditional leaders, and non-governmental organisations have been invited to a four-day virtual seabed mining workshop next week that aims to focus on environmental management and monitoring aspects of operating in the deep sea.

CI NEWSDede Mingi23 July 2021SBMA, ISA Workshop, Environmental Management, ISA, United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation

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