Cook Islands deep Seabed EBMF & SEA
EBMF (Ecosystem Based Management Framework) / SEA (Strategic Environmental Assessment)
What are they?
The EBMF is the holistic framework for environmental programmes and associated stakeholder engagement.
The SEA is a regional (CI EEZ) high-level environmental assessment for the Cook Islands deep seabed. It informs government policy.
Environmental baseline data is key scientific information that informs both the SEA and EIA.
The project level EIA (Environmental Impact Assessment) supports a development application.
The EBMF can be seen a bit like a bicycle
1. ebmf Documentation
Progress to date on the SEA
2. SEA - MSA (Marine Spatial Assessment)
Our seabed can be classified into different habitat management zones for better management.
3. SEA - EA (effects Assessment)
High level, structured look at how significant impacts could be, and the confidence in what we know.
4. SEA - CIA (Cumulative impact Assessment)
Any seabed minerals extraction is not in isolation. How other marine users and climate change interact.
4.0 Seabed Minerals SEA-CIA Factsheet
4.2b SEA-CIA poster
5. SEA - REMP (REgional Environmental MAnagement Plan)
Your review of assessments, before government policy is updated.
5.1a Survey background presentation
5.1b Survey background presentation recorded version
5.1c REMP Short Survey - No need to watch the presentation
5.2b REMP workshop presentation slides
5.3/4 SEA-REMP report, Annexes
The SEA will need to be updated when we have material new information. All feedback will be collated, please feel free to have your say.
6.0 Link for feedback on the SEA ahead of its next review
Its 2025…So what does AI think? of the EBMF and the SEA? We took the opportunity to ask Google Gemini.
Progress to date in other areas
Environmental baseline data is being collected by both exploration licence holders and marine scientific researchers. SBMA is contributing via the ARTEX and WISE initiatives.
All environmental data in the Cook Islands goes into the public domain. SBMA maintains a public data repository for both environmental and legacy information.
Exploration licence holders are prescribed to go through the EIA process (per regulations and their approved workplans). Currently they are preparing or submitting environmental scoping exercises.