Cook Islands Seabed Minerals Authority
Runanga Takere Moana
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News & Press Releases

 
 

You can read all the latest news and updates on the Cook Islands seabed minerals sector here.

 
Posts tagged National Environment Service (NES)
Clear Facts, Careful Process: Where the Cook Islands Stands on Seabed Minerals
Clear Facts, Careful Process: Where the Cook Islands Stands on Seabed Minerals

Public discussion on seabed minerals has raised questions about transparency, representation, science, and decision-making. Here is where the Cook Islands currently stands, what the law requires, and why the country remains in an exploration-only phase. Those questions are fair. People should expect answers that are clear, straight, and respectful. 

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Media ReleaseDede MingiSeabed Minerals, Cook Islands, SBMA, Ocean Governance, Exploration Phase, Science Based Decisions, Environmental stewardship, Marae Moana, Public Consultations, Transparency, Policy and Regulation, Licensing Process, National Environment Service (NES), Advisory Committee, Community Engagement, Ocean Nation, Cook Islands Government, Deep Sea, Marine Policy, Evidence Based Approach
Cook Islands Welcomes E/V Nautilus for 21-Day Deep-Sea Science Research Cruise
Cook Islands Welcomes E/V Nautilus for 21-Day Deep-Sea Science Research Cruise

Later this week, the Cook Islands will welcome the arrival of the exploration vessel E/V Nautilus, a world-class platform for deep-sea discovery. Over the course of a 21-day science mission beginning 1 October 2025, the Seabed Minerals Authority (SBMA) and its partners will work alongside the Nautilus team to explore and better understand the hidden depths of Marae Moana.

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Joint ReleaseDede MingiCook Islands, Rarotonga, SBMA, Seabed Minerals Authortiy (SBMA), E/V Nautilus, National Environment Service (NES), NES, Deep Sea Science, Marae Moana, Cook Islands Science, Ocean Exploration, Ocean Exploration Trust, NOAA Ocean Exploration, International Partnerships, Science Collaboration, Pacific Research, Marine Biodiversity, Seabed Research, Ocean Stewardship, Sustainable Oceans, Science First, Precautionary Principle, Pacific Oceans, Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ, Marae Moana Leadership
Cook Islands confronts critical questions on identity as debate on deep-sea mining grows 
Cook Islands confronts critical questions on identity as debate on deep-sea mining grows 

As the Cook Islands approaches the end of its five-year seabed minerals exploration phase and the latest partnership with the superpowers United States and China, the question facing its people is no longer just about mining—but about identity, sovereignty, stewardship, and the ocean that binds them all.

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InternationalDede MingiCook Islands seabed mining debate, Deep-sea mining Cook Islands, Seabed minerals exploration Cook Islands, Cook Islands five-year exploration phase, Polymetallic nodules Cook Islands, Seabed Minerals Act Cook Islands, Mike Tavioni, Louisa Castledine, Hans Smit, June Hosking, Te Ipukarea Society, Ocean Ancestors collective, Moana Minerals, CIC Ocean Research, CIIC Seabed Resources, Cook Islands Seabed Minerals Authority (SBMA), National Environment Service (NES)