You can read all the latest news and updates on the Cook Islands seabed minerals sector here.
The Seabed Minerals Authority (SBMA) was represented at the Murihiku Regeneration: Energy, Infrastructure and Opportunities Wānanga in Invercargill, New Zealand, on 27–28 May 2026, with Partnerships and Cooperation Director Edward Herman attending on behalf of the Authority. According to Herman, the gathering brought together a wide mix of New Zealand businesses, community organisations, government agencies, and iwi representatives, with more than 200 people attending.
Read MoreThe Seabed Minerals Authority (SBMA) has continued its Rarotonga community kōrero sessions across Takuvaine/Tutakimoa, Tupapa Maraerenga and Nikao, creating space for open discussion, shared learning, and direct engagement with local communities on the Cook Islands seabed minerals sector.
Read MoreThe Seabed Minerals Authority (SBMA) was represented at the Pacific Small Island Developing States Regional Workshop on Deep Seabed Sustainable Blue Growth Initiative, held in Suva, Fiji, from 19 to 21 May 2026.
Read MoreThe Seabed Minerals Authority (SBMA) is acknowledging the contribution of Senior Policy and Legal Officer Te-Ara Henderson, who has departed the Authority after more than five years of service.
Te-Ara joined SBMA in March 2021 as a Licensing and Compliance Officer in the Licensing and Compliance Division. Over time, his responsibilities expanded alongside the Authority’s own development, and he became involved in a broad range of legal, policy, and regulatory work during a key stage in the Cook Islands seabed minerals sector.
Read MoreA major review of 50 years of data warning that deep-sea mining could cause long-lasting damage to Pacific marine ecosystems has reinforced the Cook Islands’ cautious approach to seabed minerals exploration, according to Seabed Minerals Authority (SBMA) Commissioner Beverly Stacey Ataera.
Read MoreCook Islands intends to utilise the Asian Development Bank (ADB) as an ‘honest broker’ to refine regulatory and financial frameworks for deep-sea minerals, amid concerns raised by environmental advocates.
Read MoreThe Seabed Minerals Authority (SBMA) is engaging the Rarotonga public to clarify the seabed minerals sector and its operations, aiming to empower and involve the community.
Read MoreA Cook Islands environmental advocate has criticised the seabed mining consultation process being undertaken by the Cook Islands Government in Australia, describing it as one-sided and lacking meaningful engagement with local NGOs.
Read MoreThe Cook Islands Seabed Minerals Authority (SBMA) continues to champion a science-first, precautionary approach to seabed minerals, as its senior representatives join international delegates at the 30th Council Session of the International Seabed Authority (ISA), held in Kingston, Jamaica, from 17 to 28 March 2025.
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