Deep ocean groundings
Solomon Kahoʻohalahala opened Thursday’s Deep Ocean Symposium, an academic conference at the University of the South Pacific Cook Islands campus, with a
Mining
Rio Tinto class action begins over Bougainville mining disaster
An initial hearing of a class action against mining giant Rio Tinto over the toxic legacy of the Panguna copper mine has been held in Papua New Guinea.
Environmentalists slam ‘premature’ seabed minerals harvesting regulations
Cook Islands has enacted seabed minerals harvesting regulations despite concerns about the lack of 'meaningful
Australia’s coalmine decision ‘a direct threat to our collective future’: Tuvalu MP
Tuvalu’s climate minister says Australia’s decision to approve three coalmine expansions calls into question its claim to be a "member of the Pacific
Nauru uses high-profile UN address to press case for sea-bed mining
Nauru’s President David Adeang declared in a speech to the United Nations that the international community must not let “fear and misinformation” block the exploitation of sea-bed
Peaceful protest calls for moratorium on deep-sea mining in Cook Islands
Hundreds of Cook Islanders and tourists Wednesday joined a peaceful protest against seabed mining, calling for a moratorium on deep-sea activities. The rally held at the Avarua Harbour was organised by Cook Islands
PNG authorises lethal force to quell deadly violence near Porgera mine
Papua New Guinea security personnel have been authorised to use “lethal force” to quell violence between illegal miners and traditional landowners near the economically important Porgera gold mine. Fighting in the
French Polynesia’s Moetai Brotherson on New Caledonia, deep sea mining and regional ties
As French diplomats worked the corridors at last week’s 53rd Pacific Islands Forum in Nuku’alofa, President of French Polynesia Moetai Brotherson has criticised decisions taken by President Emmanuel Macron that have
Opinion: Not merely ‘exploration’: PNG deep-sea mining riles critics & surprises officials
A deep-sea mining operation that recently took place off the coast of Papua New Guinea (PNG) has raised alarm bells for environmentalists and called into question the validity of the country’s moratorium on such
Cook Islands PM urges Pacific unity on deep-sea mining as leaders gear up for crucial talks
Cook Islands Prime Minister and former chair of the Forum, Mark Brown is urging Pacific Island leaders to come together on a collective stance on deep-sea mining, ahead of a key talanoa session set for next month. The
Turning the tide: Inside the longest strike in Fiji’s history
Thirty-three years after it started, Fiji’s longest strike by workers at the Vatukoula Gold Mines came to an end in June, with the Coalition government promising a payout of FJ$9.2 million (US$4.6 million) for the
A Lawsuit Promises Justice for Rio Tinto’s Mining Disaster in Bougainville. Some Say It’s Nothing But a Cash Grab.
The Panguna mine made a fortune but left war and pollution in its wake. A new lawsuit backed by anonymous investors is now seeking billions in compensation – and raising concerns about who stands to benefit. High in
Tuvalu calls for deep sea mining precautionary pause at ISA conference in Jamaica
Tuvalu and other nations have joined the call for a precautionary pause on deep sea mining at the 29th International Seabed Authority (ISA) Assembly meeting in Kingston, Jamaica. Guatemala and Honduras also backed a
New Caledonia’s mothballed nickel plant starts mass sackings process
New Caledonia’s mothballed nickel plant in Koniambo (North of the main island) has announced it has engaged in the mass sackings of some 1200 staff, despite efforts to identify a potential buyer. Koniambo (KNS
Rio Tinto class action over Bougainville mine damage set for October hearing
The first hearing date has been set in a class action against miner Rio Tinto for historical environmental and social damage caused by the Bougainville copper mine in Papua New Guinea that it operated in the 1970s and
Winston Peters says he wants more rational debate on deep sea mining, not ‘virtue signalling’
New Zealand’s Deputy Prime Minister, Winston Peters, says mining is critical to transition away from fossil fuels, but the call for a moratorium in international waters by the previous government still stands.
80,000 persons face starvation in PNG’s Porgera Valley
About 80,000 persons in Papua New Guinea Porgera Valley would soon be running out of food supplies and other goods and services, according to Enga Governor Sir Peter Ipatas. Ipatas said this after the main road from
Opinion: The real cost of mining in Solomon Islands
The Rennell landowners are questioning the government again about the status of their royalty payments for the 33 bauxite shipments worth millions and their compensation claims for the Kangava Bay oil spill in 2018.
Rio Tinto Limited and Bougainville Copper Limited facing multi-billion dollar class action lawsuit
Lawyers representing over 3,000 residents of Bougainville, an island of Papua New Guinea, have filed a class action lawsuit against Rio Tinto and Bougainville Copper, seeking compensation, expected to be in the billions
Eramet reaches agreement to continue SLN’s New Caledonia operations
French mining group Eramet said on Wednesday it had reached an agreement with the French government to continue its subsidiary SLN’s mining operations in New Caledonia’s Northern Province. Under the agreement,
Opinion: Communities worry anew as PNG revives seabed mining plans
Chris Malgan sits in his outrigger canoe, singing and shaking a ring of coconut shells in the water next to the boat. The inky skies backdropping the reef portend a late-morning storm that will bring a deluge of rain
Regional tuna expert sounds caution in developing seabed mining
Leading Pacific tuna industry expert, Dr Transform Aqorau, has drawn from the region’s experiences with its massive tuna fisheries industry to sound caution in the development of the “next frontier” of deep seabed
U.S. political support for deep-sea mining growing despite pushback from allies
A report in the Wall Street Journal says U.S. political support for deep-sea mining has taken on a new urgency as Norway this week became the first country to legalise extraction of minerals from the ocean bottom