Cook 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 MoreYou can read all the latest news and updates on the Cook Islands seabed minerals sector here.
Exploring the Hidden Treasure: Cook Islands' Polymetallic Nodules
When you think of the Cook Islands, a few things might come to mind—relaxed holidays, vibrant tivaevae, and, less excitingly, the high price of fish. But ask a marine geologist, and they will tell you that the Cook Islands are famous for something much more significant: a massive deposit of polymetallic nodules.
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A 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.
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The International Seabed Authority “ISA at 30” programme has awarded a significant grant to a Cook Islands Seabed Minerals Authority (SBMA) led proposal, Women in Scientific Expedition (WISE). This award is a testament to the Cook Islands’ growing role in global ocean governance and its commitment to advancing deep-sea research and empowering women in science.
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When you think of the deep ocean, you might imagine mysterious creatures, sunken ships, and lost treasures. However, the reality is a bit more surprising—and a lot more cluttered. Shoes, plastic bags, glass bottles, fishing gear, and even entire shipping containers can be found scattered across the ocean floor. One particularly eye-opening discovery was a beer bottle found in the Challenger Deep, the deepest part of the ocean, over 10,000 meters down [1].
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“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.
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In the Cook Islands, we are embarking on an exciting journey to explore our Exclusive Economic Zone1, delving into the depths in search of polymetallic nodules (or simply nodules) and other scientific discoveries. Our mission involves gathering data from a vast area of the ocean, our Marae Moana, and over the next few years we will talk about some of the exciting science and technology that make this voyage possible.
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“You cannot manage what you cannot measure” said Prime Minister Mark Brown at the Ocean Decade Conference held in Barcelona, Spain from 10-12 April themed 'The science we need for the ocean we want'.
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This is the first of a series of science articles SBMA will be releasing. Join us on a journey of discovery focused on our Marae Moana. This article is all about the ocean and underlying seabed.
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