You can read all the latest news and updates on the Cook Islands seabed minerals sector here.
The 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 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 MoreThe Cook Islands Government has wrapped up a national diaspora consultation tour in Sydney, Queensland, and Melbourne, connecting with Cook Islanders living in Australia through open and honest dialogue.
Read MoreThree staff from the Cook Islands Seabed Minerals Authority (SBMA) were among 22 international participants who recently took part in the third knowledge transfer training workshop organised and fully funded by the International Seabed Authority (ISA) and the Government of China.
Held in Qingdao from 23–27 April 2025 under the ISA-China Joint Training and Research Centre (JTRC), the training workshop focused on the science and tools needed to protect deep-sea environments through Regional Environmental Management Plans (REMPs).
Read MoreThe Seabed Minerals Authority (SBMA), in collaboration with other partners such as the National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research (NIWA), University of California Santa Barbara, and Kiva Marine, recently went volcano hunting without a seabed mineral in sight. Keep reading if you want to find out why and how.
Read MoreThe Cook Islands Seabed Minerals Authority (SBMA) recently participated in the first of its kind Ministerial Talanoa on Deep Sea Minerals (DSM), convened by the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat in Suva, Fiji, from 18 to 21 February 2025.
The Talanoa brought together Pacific Island Forum leaders, ministers and senior officials, and regional and international stakeholders to discuss the opportunities and challenges of DSM development and governance in the Pacific.
Read MoreCook Islands Government’s recent consultation tour in New Zealand was a significant success, effectively addressing numerous concerns held by the diaspora regarding seabed mining, says Prime Minister Mark Brown.
Read MorePrime Minister Mark Brown has responded to concerns raised by two environmental groups, Te Ipukarea Society (TIS) and Korero o te Orau, regarding the government’s recent seabed mining consultation in New Zealand.
Read MoreThis week’s Cook Islands diaspora consultations in New Zealand have amounted to a shotgun approach to current affairs covering a variety of topics of national importance. Prime Minister Mark Brown and his delegation spoke on seabed minerals exploration, the 60 years of self-governance anniversary next year, and the future of the nation.
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