You can read all the latest news and updates on the Cook Islands seabed minerals sector here.
The Cook Islands Government has completed the transition of the Marae Moana Coordination Office (MMCO) from the Office of the Prime Minister (OPM) to Te Tu’anga Taporoporo National Environment Service (NES), following the passage of the Marae Moana Amendment Act 2026 earlier this year.
Read MorePublic 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.
Read MoreThe Seabed Minerals Authority (SBMA) continues to strengthen its science-based approach through international collaboration, with Knowledge Management Director Dr John Parianos recently attending a series of engagements in Washington, DC.
Read MoreThe Seabed Minerals Authority (SBMA) was represented at the Seabed Minerals 2026 conference in Bergen, Norway, in late March, with Tanga Morris presenting online on recent Cook Islands work relating to environmental management. The conference was held from 24 to 26 March 2026 and brought together researchers, regulators, industry representatives, and other stakeholders from around the world to discuss developments in the seabed minerals sector.
Read MoreThe Seabed Minerals Authority (SBMA) recently took part in the 31st Session of the International Seabed Authority (ISA) Council in Kingston, Jamaica, from 9 to 20 March 2026. The session brought together Member States and observers to continue negotiations on the draft exploitation regulations for mineral resources in the Area.
Read MoreSeabed 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 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 MoreThe Cook Islands Seabed Minerals Authority (SBMA) proudly welcomes home its Senior Policy and Legal Officer, Te-Ara Henderson, following the successful completion of an 11-week regulatory secondment with the South Australian Department for Energy and Mining (DEM), an exchange facilitated through the Australasian Environmental Law Enforcement and Regulators Network (AELERT).
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