By Pita Ligaiula in Honiara, Solomon Islands
Pacific voices are pressing Forum Leaders meeting in Honiara to take a firm stance against deep sea mining, warning that rushing into the industry would have irreversible consequences for the region’s ocean and people.
Pacific consultant on deep sea mining, Lagi Toribau, said Solomon Islands’ recent call at the UN Oceans Conference in Nice for a moratorium reflected growing regional consensus.
“The position Solomon Islands took and announced at the recent UN Oceans conference in Nice calling for a moratorium, and this is also in line with the standing position by the Melanesian Spearhead Group Leaders supporting moratorium, can be the default position of the Pacific Forum Leaders,” Toribau said.
He said the 2050 Strategy for the Blue Pacific makes ocean stewardship a priority, and leaders must show global leadership by rejecting destructive industries.
“There is a fundamental recognition by most countries that we need to look at the ocean as a whole, so we can’t put deep sea mining in isolation. This is one of those issues the Pacific has an opportunity to stop before it happens. It’s a one-off chance not to pick up the mess from someone else. Let’s not rush into this,” he told Pacific media in Honiara.
Pacific Council of Churches General Secretary, Reverend James Bhagwan, said deep sea mining also posed a security risk.
“There is no silo around the ocean and there are no borders in the ocean beyond GPS coordinates, so what happens in one part affects the rest. If we talk about ocean of peace, we cannot only talk about peace on land. Even deep sea mining is a security issue.
From civil society the language has always been about the precautionary principle, the precautionary pause,” Bhagwan said.
Head of the Pacific Network on Globalisation (PANG), Joey Tau, also urged caution, pointing to the lack of international regulation.
“The cautionary from the organisation that I represent is that we caution the region, especially the CROP institutions who facilitate technical advisory. Deep sea mining has not come to an agreement of a mining code internationally, so the region is trying to trigger this collective approach. Such DSM talanoa or ocean ministers’ conferences around extractives should open up to the wider community because the ocean concerns everyone,” Tau said.
Leaders are expected to debate the issue when they meet for their retreat in Munda during the Forum Leaders Meeting.
