50-year study delivers ‘chilling’ verdict on deep sea mining risks

By RNZ Pacific staff Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — A 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. A landmark review of 50 years of data has delivered a chilling verdict on deep sea mining: the impact on Pacific ecosystems will be "dire and long-lasting", potentially wiping out undiscovered species before they are even named, Pacific Media Network reported last week. The study, published in Current Biology, comes as the Pacific remains the global "ground zero" for the proposed industry. The report described the deep sea as one of the least understood ecosystems on Earth and warned that environmental damage caused by mining could last for decades or longer. Responding to questions from Cook Islands News, Ataera said the findings support the need for "restraint, robust scrutiny and regulatory caution" in the Cook Islands' approach to seabed minerals. "The Seabed Minerals Authority acknowledges the seriousness of the findings outlined in this report and recognizes that the deep ocean remains one of the least understood environments on Earth," she said. "Research highlighting the potential for long‐lasting impacts on deep‐sea ecosystems reinforces why the Cook Islands has adopted a precautionary, science‐led and phased approach to seabed minerals governance." Ataera explained that long-term scientific research forms an important part of the evidence used by the authority when assessing seabed mineral activities under the Seabed Minerals Act 2019. Under the Act, she said, the Cook Islands has not made any decision to allow seabed mining. Instead, environmental protection, biodiversity conservation and inter-generational equity are built into the centre of the country's regulatory framework. Ataera said the law only allows activities to be considered where environmental impacts are properly understood and can be effectively avoided, remedied or mitigated. "Where uncertainty or the risk of serious or irreversible harm remains, the framework does not support progression," she added. Her comments come amid an ongoing debate across the Pacific over whether deep sea mining should proceed, as nations explore new economic opportunities linked to minerals essential for manufacturing high-capacity batteries, renewable energy infrastructure and electronic devices. In the Cook Islands, the current five-year exploration phase - set to conclude next February before being extended for another five years - has focused on mineral-rich polymetallic nodules found within the nation's Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) However, environmental groups and scientists continue to raise concerns regarding the potential impacts of mining on marine life and fragile deep-ocean ecosystems. They have also questioned the true economic benefit to the Cook Islands. Asked about the impact such research data will have on the Cook Islands' exploration phase, Ataera said scientific assessments and long‐term research are key to how SBMA carries out its regulatory role. "Reports drawing on decades of global data are not viewed as external or abstract to the Cook Islands context; they form part of the evidence base that informs regulatory judgement under the Seabed Minerals Act 2019." Ataera stressed that exploration in the Cook Islands should not be viewed as an automatic pathway toward future mining operations. "Exploration under the Act is not an automatic step toward mining." She explained that exploration activities are designed to improve scientific understanding of seabed environments, ecological processes and the level of uncertainty that still exists in the deep ocean. According to Ataera, where research indicates impacts may be "serious, cumulative, or irreversible", the evidence directly affects whether exploration activities should proceed, face tighter conditions or be restricted altogether. She said the authority is legally required to continuously assess emerging scientific information and apply the precautionary principle when making decisions. Findings from long-term international studies, including those highlighting risks to biodiversity, are therefore "highly relevant to how the authority evaluates and re-evaluates exploration applications". Ataera said the latest report does not increase pressure to accelerate exploration in the Cook Islands. "If anything, it reinforces the need for restraint, robust scrutiny, and regulatory caution where knowledge gaps or environmental risk remain material," she said. Questions were also raised over whether the Cook Islands should pause or slow its seabed minerals activity until more scientific research becomes available. No plans to mine seabed, yet Ataera said there is currently "no active or approved seabed mining programme to pause". She added that the authority does not operate according to fixed exploration deadlines or development targets. Instead, any exploration proposals remain subject to ongoing scrutiny, reassessment and adaptive regulatory conditions as scientific understanding evolves, she explained. Ataera said emerging evidence pointing to possible long-term or irreversible impacts is directly relevant to how SBMA evaluates risk and uncertainty. Where impacts may not be adequately understood or managed, she said the legislation supports stronger regulatory restraint, including declining applications, tightening conditions or requiring additional information before decisions are made. "Proceeding cautiously, or not proceeding at all is a legitimate and expected regulatory outcome where uncertainty remains significant," Ataera said. "Decisions are guided by precaution and evidence, not momentum." Last week, Prime Minister Mark Brown stated that the Cook Islands is looking to the Asian Development Bank (ADB) to act as an "honest broker" in refining the nation's regulatory and financial frameworks for deep-sea minerals. According to Brown, the Cook Islands is in a fortunate position within the seabed minerals industry. "We've developed our own regulatory framework. We have put in place legislation, regulations, standards and guidelines, which basically govern how activities are undertaken in our deep ocean and on our ocean," he told CNBC. "What we look to do with the Asian Development Bank is further assistance in things like cross-boundary taxation measures and in specialist legislation that perhaps we could seek assistance from the bank in supporting and financing." Section: Regional Tags: deep sea mining
2026-05-13 17:23:28