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RNZ News
4 days ago
- Politics
- RNZ News
Cook Islands opposition calls for national pause on seabed mining
By Talaia Mika , Cook Islands News Cook Islands opposition leader Tina Browne Photo: Cook Islands News Cook Islands opposition leader Tina Browne is calling for a "national pause" on the Cook Islands' deep sea mining ambitions, warning that the country is risking its oceanic heritage and identity by charging ahead with a decision that could have irreversible consequences. Browne made the comment following the meeting of Pacific leaders in Nice, France, a gathering also attended by Prime Minister Mark Brown, who led a Cook Islands delegation to the third United Nations Ocean Conference. The Opposition leader questioned the government's commitment to responsible development, contrasting it with the passionate pleas from neighbouring Pacific countries calling for moratoriums and marine protection. "Like many across our country and Te Moana Nui o Kiva, I was deeply moved listening to our Pacific leaders speak in France this week," Browne said. "Tuvalu's President pleaded for help in the face of rising seas swallowing his nation. The Solomon Islands called for a moratorium on seabed mining. Tahiti invoked its cultural heritage to place a rā'ui-a traditional protection-over a vast section of its ocean territory. "They spoke with heart and with courage. They reminded us that while we may be small islands, we are vast ocean nations-and that with that vastness comes a duty to protect it." Also read: While leaders across the region are urging caution and conservation, Browne says the Cook Islands government is "forging ahead with plans to mine the deep seabed beneath our waters," describing the approach as one that is "moving quickly and quietly on something that could change our ocean forever." The Prime Minister and his delegation had earlier joined world leaders in Monaco for the Blue Economy and Finance Forum before heading to Nice, where they reaffirmed the Cook Islands' push to become a global leader in seabed mining. Mark Brown defended the country's stance on deep sea mineral exploration, highlighting the regulatory frameworks being developed and the potential economic benefits for the nation. But Browne said while she is not opposed to economic development, it must not come at the expense of the country's identity or values. "I want to be clear: I am not against development. I understand our need to grow our economy and reduce our reliance on others. But development must be responsible, inclusive, and not compromise the very foundation of who we are. And in the Cook Islands, the ocean is not just territory-it is genealogy, spirituality, and life." Citing recent feedback from young Cook Islanders during a seabed mining consultation in Australia, Browne raised concerns over intergenerational justice and the lack of youth involvement in decision-making. "Several young Cook Islanders expressed frustration at a recent seabed mining consultation in Australia. They said the room was full of older people and felt left out, ignored in a process that would most affect their future," she said. "If our youth-the very people we say we are doing this for-feel excluded, then we must ask ourselves whether this process is fair or even just." Browne said true leadership is knowing when to pause, listen, and bring the nation along with the decision-making process. "We are often proud to say we are leaders in the Pacific. However, leadership is not always about being first. Sometimes, it's about knowing when to stop and listen-when to join the chorus, not go solo." She has urged the government to put a national pause on the seabed mining rollout, and to commit to meaningful dialogue with the people of the Cook Islands. "I am calling for a national pause - a moment to step back and reflect together as a country," she said. "Let us open up proper space for dialogue-not just behind closed doors or technical briefings, but real conversations in our villages, churches, and homes. Let us hear from our vaka navigators, our reef fishermen, and our grandmothers, who understand the tides better than any textbook." "Let us ask: Do we truly know the risks? Do we have a mandate from our people? And is this the legacy we want to leave behind?" Browne concluded with a plea to put wisdom before ambition: "We still have time to make the right decision, not rushed or pressured, but one that honours our identity, the ocean, and our place in the Pacific. Let's lead with wisdom, not just ambition." -This article was first published by Cook Islands News .
News.com.au
09-06-2025
- Politics
- News.com.au
UN summit to tackle 'emergency' in world's oceans
A global summit on the dire state of the oceans kicks off Monday in France, with calls to ban bottom trawling and bolster protections for the world's overexploited marine areas. World leaders attending the UN Ocean Conference in Nice have been told to come up with concrete ideas -- and money -- to tackle what organisers call a global "emergency" facing the neglected seas. The appeal for unity comes as nations tussle over a global plastics pollution treaty, and the United States sidesteps international efforts to regulate deep-sea mining. On the eve of the summit, Brazil's President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva said that leaders must act now: "The planet can no longer tolerate broken promises." A wave of new commitments is expected Monday in Nice, where around 60 heads of state and government will join thousands of business leaders, scientists and civil society activists. "Never in the history of humanity have we brought together so many people for the oceans," French President Emmanuel Macron said Sunday before hosting leaders for an official dinner. - Trawling targeted - On Monday, the United Kingdom is expected to announce a partial ban on bottom trawling in half its marine protected areas, putting the destructive fishing method squarely on the summit agenda. Bottom trawling sees huge fishing nets dragged across the ocean floor, a process shockingly captured in a recent documentary by British naturalist David Attenborough. Greenpeace welcomed the UK announcement on trawling but said in a statement it was "long overdue". Macron on Saturday said France would restrict trawling in some of its marine protected areas, but was criticised by environment groups for not going far enough. French environment minister Agnes Pannier-Runacher told reporters Sunday that other countries would make "important announcements" about the creation of new marine protected areas. Samoa led the way this past week, announcing that 30 percent of its national waters would be under protection with the creation of nine marine parks. Just eight percent of global oceans are designated for marine conservation, despite a globally agreed target to achieve 30 percent coverage by 2030. But even fewer are considered truly protected, as some countries impose next to no rules on what is forbidden in marine zones, or lack the finance to enforce any rules. - Words into action - Nations will face calls to cough up the missing finance for ocean protection, which is the least funded of all the UN's 17 sustainable development goals. Small island states are expected in numbers at the summit, to demand money and political support to combat rising seas, marine trash and the plunder of fish stocks. The summit will not produce a legally binding agreement at its close like a climate COP or treaty negotiation. But diplomats and other observers said it could mark a much-needed turning point in global ocean conservation if leaders rose to the occasion. "The UN Ocean Conference gives us all an opportunity to turn words into bold and ambitious action," said Enric Sala, founder of Pristine Seas, an ocean conservation group. Another summit priority will be inching towards the numbers required to ratify a global treaty on harmful fishing subsidies, and another on protecting the high seas beyond national control. France is also spearheading a push for a moratorium on deep-sea mining ahead of a meeting of the International Seabed Authority in July.
