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
.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
RNZ News
a day ago
- RNZ News
Deep sea mining decision already made, Cook Islands opposition leader says
Cook Islands nodule field - photo taken within Cook Islands EEZ. Photo: Cook Islands Seabed Minerals Authority The Cook Islands' opposition leader believes the government has already decided it wants to pursue deep sea mining despite the science being inconclusive. Tina Browne has called for a pause on "the aggressive promotion of mining" by her government. However, she said she was fine with exploration and exploitation - the actual mining - if it is deemed environmentally safe. When asked how this position differed from the government's, she said, "The feeling that we have is that, while we want to tread cautiously and have the data available and the decisions made for safety, the government is promoting it in such a way that it has already determined it is safe." The Cook Islands is currently exploring the possibility of developing the industry but has not yet begun the actual mining. The Seabed Minerals Authority (SMA) is the government body in charge of deep sea mining in the Cook Islands. SMA's knowledge management director John Parionos said the National Environment Service is responsible for managing the process before an environmental project permit is issued. "This process is clear and legally mandated," Parionos said. He said it included the provision of a detailed environmental impact statement by the companies. While the authority and the National Environment Service have commissioned a strategic environmental assessment. "The [strategic environmental assessment's] purpose is to inform policy, not authorize any particular project to proceed to commercial minerals harvesting or other mining," Parionos said. "The results of the [strategic environmental assessment] thus far are encouraging but show key areas of uncertainty." Tina Browne Photo: Cook Islands News Browne said she did not want to be driven by the economic benefits of mining. "I want us to apply a lot of common sense and wisdom to the whole thing and not just be driven by the need to get money," she said. "We say that we are doing this for the future of our children, the children are saying, 'Well, there's not enough of us at these consultation meetings. "It's the same old elderly adults who are leaving us soon, we should be the ones to have a say in what we want for our future'."
RNZ News
2 days ago
- RNZ News
NZ pulls out of global coalition for phasing out fossil fuels
Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says the government's decision to repeal the ban on new offshore oil and gas exploration was the main reason for leaving the coalition. Photo: RNZ / Nick Monro The New Zealand government has quietly pulled out of an international coalition for phasing out fossil fuels. The move follows the announcement of $200 million funding to support new drilling for fossil fuel fields at the Budget. Climate Change Minister Simon Watts said the catalyst for leaving the alliance was the government's decision to repeal the previous government's ban on new offshore oil and gas exploration. New Zealand joined the Beyond Oil and Gas Alliance at the Glasgow climate summit in 2021. The international alliance of governments works together on the "managed phase-out of oil and gas production". It was led by Denmark and Costa Rica, and includes France, Ireland, Portugal, Spain, Sweden and several Pacific island nations. Watts confirmed New Zealand had exited the group after the move was reported by Carbon News. He said he did not think it would have a significant impact on New Zealand's international reputation. Watts said the government notified the alliance members in June that the repeal of the oil and gas exploration ban was coming, and removed itself from the group. He said he had asked the Ministry for Foreign Affairs and Trade to communicate the decision in advance to Pacific countries, and had not received any negative feedback from other countries on the move. Being an associate member - as New Zealand was - required working to end subsidies for oil and gas and ending public finance for fossil fuel development. Newsroom reported in November that the coalition's decision to restart oil and gas exploration had raised questions among members about New Zealand's continued participation. The Green Party said the move was the latest sign the government cared little for the climate crisis or its impacts on the cost of living. Green Party co-leader Chlöe Swarbrick said the coalition's fossil fuel subsidies helped secure profits of fossil fuel executives but made life harder for regular people. The news came a day after the Green Party released legal advice saying the coalition's $200 million dollar investment fund for local gas exploration was a "clear breach" of an international trade agreement with Costa Rica, Iceland and Switzerland . The Agreement on Climate Change, Trade and Sustainability deal focuses on trade in sustainable goods and services and was signed by the government last November. It has been described as a "ground-breaking" trade agreement that delivered commercial opportunities to New Zealand's economy, while addressing climate change and sustainability challenges. Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
RNZ News
2 days ago
- RNZ News
NZ Taxpayers' Union-Curia poll reveals nearly half of Kiwis oppose automatic citizenship for Cook Islands
Under the Cook Islands constitution, New Zealand cannot pass laws for the Cook Islands. Photo: Supplied / PMN A new poll by the New Zealand Taxpayers' Union-Curia shows that almost half of respondents oppose the Cook Islands having automatic New Zealand citizenship. Thirty percent of the 1000-person sample supported Cook Islanders retaining citizenship, 46 percent were opposed and 24 percent were unsure. The question asked: Taxpayers' Union head of communications Tory Relf said the framing of the question was fair. "If the Cook Islands wants to continue enjoying a close relationship with New Zealand, then, of course, we will support that," she said. "However, if they are looking in a different direction, then I think it is entirely fair that taxpayers can have a right to say whether they want their money sent there or not." But New Zealand Labour Party deputy leader Carmel Sepuloni said it is a leading question. "It asserts or assumes that we have hit a dead end here and that we cannot resolve the relationship issues that have unfolded between New Zealand and the Cook Islands," Sepuloni said. "We want a resolution. We do not want to assume or assert that it is all done and dusted and the relationship is broken." The two nations have been in free association since 1965. Relf said that adding historical context of the two countries relationship would be a different question. "We were polling on the Cook Islands current policy, asking about historic ties would introduce an emotive element that would influence the response." New Zealand has paused nearly $20 million in development assistance to the realm nation. Foreign Minister Winston Peters said the decision was made because the Cook Islands failed to adequately inform his government about several agreements signed with Beijing in February. Sepuloni, who is also Labour's Pacific Peoples spokesperson, said her party agrees with the Government that the Cook Islands had acted outside of the free association agreement. "[The aid pause is] an extreme response, however, in saying that we don't have all of the information in front of us that the government have. I'm very mindful that in terms of pausing or stopping aid, the scenarios where I can recall that happening are scenarios like when Fiji was having their coup." In response to questions from Cook Islands News , Cook Islands Prime Minister Mark Brown said that, while he acknowledged the concerns raised in the recent poll, he believed it was important to place the discussion within the full context of Cook Islands' longstanding and unique relationship with New Zealand. "The Cook Islands and New Zealand share a deep, enduring constitutional bond underpinned by shared history, family ties, and mutual responsibility," Brown told the Rarotonga based paper. "Cook Islanders are New Zealand citizens not by privilege, but by right. A right rooted in decades of shared sacrifice, contribution, and identity. "More than 100,000 Cook Islanders live in New Zealand, contributing to its economy, culture, and communities. In return, our people have always looked to New Zealand not just as a partner but as family."
