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.
Read MoreYou can read all the latest news and updates on the Cook Islands seabed minerals sector here.
Alex Herman and Dr. John Parianos confirmed the Cook Islands' participation in the Noumea platform, highlighting the Cook Islands' deep-sea policy and the achievements as well as challenges faced by the Seabed Minerals Authority in this area. The Secretary of State for the Sea has requested the IRD spearhead a collaborative scientific evaluation that concentrates on deep-sea knowledge and governance.
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Prime Minister Mark Brown led a Cook Islands delegation to the SAFE Summit 2024, which took place in Washington, DC from 12th to 13th March, to discuss the sustainable development of the seabed minerals sector. Key officials in the delegation included Alex Herman, Commissioner of Seabed Minerals, Dr. John Parianos, Director of Knowledge Management, and Garth Henderson, Financial Secretary.
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Te-Ara Henderson, Senior Policy and Legal Officer of the Cook Islands Seabed Minerals Authority (SBMA) attended Part I of the 29th Session of the Council. The Council sessions are hosted three times a year at the headquarters of the International Seabed Authority (ISA) in Kingston, Jamaica. The Cook Islands is a member state and sponsoring state of an Exploration Licence in the Clarion-Clipperton Zone.
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In a bid to bolster sustainable development and explore collaboration opportunities, representatives from the Cook Islands have actively participated in a recent International Visitor Leadership Programme (IVLP) focused on "Sustainability and Economic Development in the Blue Economy."
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SMARTEX (Seabed Mining and Resilience to Experiment Impact) aims to provide the critical scientific understanding and evidence-base to reduce risks of deep-sea mining of polymetallic nodules in the central Northeast Pacific Ocean. The project aims to better understand the ecosystem in the Pacific abyss and how the different components interact and interconnects.
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Last month marked two years since the country’s first seabed minerals exploration licences were issued on 23 February 2022. A major milestone and achievement for the Cook Islands after many years of preparation.
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The Cook Islands has just finished its second year exploring its ocean to see if deep sea mining can happen. The exploration phase - which will continue for about another three years - gives three companies access to the nations waters to see if mining is a viable option.
As part of the process companies need to review the environmental risks associated with the task. If the companies can prove mining is viable the government will award them a mining license.
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Cook Islands explores deep sea mining for valuable metals, exploring nodules kilometres below the surface. Government takes sustainable steps, but too early to confirm.
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