You can read all the latest news and updates on the Cook Islands seabed minerals sector here.
Seabed 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 MoreThe Cook Islands Seabed Minerals Authority (SBMA) recently held community consultations in Aitutaki to provide updates on developments in the seabed minerals sector and to hear directly from our local communities. These consultations form part of SBMA’s ongoing commitment to transparent, community-led engagement as the Cook Islands remains in an exploration-only phase.
Read MoreThe Seabed Minerals Authority (SBMA) has dismissed claims that the lack of timely notices on critical matters, such as seabed mining, was a waste of taxpayers’ money by SBMA during their recent consultations in Aitutaki last month.
Read MoreThe Government of the Cook Islands and the Government of the United States have agreed a non-binding Framework for Engagement and Cooperation to strengthen supply chains for critical minerals and rare earths, including cooperation relating to deep-sea minerals.
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 MoreWe’d like to explain what a deep-sea minerals exploration licence actually means for the Cook Islands — and equally important, what it does not mean. Some people worry that, by granting exploration licences, we have already agreed to mining.
We have not. Exploration does not give anyone permission to begin minerals harvesting.
This overview sets out the facts, the process, and the safeguards in place so our country can understand what is really happening in our waters today.
Read MoreThe Cook Islands has completed a week-long marine scientific research cruise aboard the R/V Da Yang Hao, strengthening national ocean-science capability and deepening understanding of our deep-ocean environment within our Marae Moana. The cruise, conducted under Cook Islands jurisdiction and in accordance with national marine scientific research protocols, brought together representatives from the Cook Islands and their scientific counterparts for hands-on learning, data collection, and cross-cultural exchange.
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