Cook Islands Deal with China on Seabed Mining Spurs Protest
A strategic partnership deal between China and the Cook Islands spans areas from deep-sea mining to education scholarships but excludes security ties, a document released by the Pacific island nation's government showed.Western nations that traditionally held sway in the region have become increasingly concerned about China's plans to increase influence after Beijing signed defence, trade and financial deals with Pacific countries in the last three years.Amid domestic criticism of lack of transparency, the government unveiled the action plan for the deal on Monday in the Cook Islands, in
Pacific Islands in Peril as Sea Level Rises
United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said on Tuesday that ocean temperatures are rising in the Pacific Islands at three times the rate worldwide, and its population was "uniquely exposed" to the impact of rising sea levels.Speaking to reporters in Tonga where the Pacific Islands Forum is being held, Guterres highlighted the findings of a report that showed the South West Pacific was worst hit by sea level rises, in some places by more than double the global average in the past 30 years."I am in Tonga to issue a global SOS – Save Our Seas – on rising sea levels
ISA Elects Secretary General as Calls Grow to Pause Deep-Sea Mining
pause on deep-sea mining until we have the science needed to inform a robust evidence-based regulatory framework that protects ocean ecosystems from harm," said Julian Jackson, seabed mining project director at The Pew Charitable Trusts.The rush to complete the mining code was triggered by the Pacific island state of Nauru saying it would submit a mining license application on behalf of TMC, which triggered the so-called "two-year rule" in 2021.That rule allows mining applications to be submitted within two years, whether the mining code has been finalized or not.Environmental groups have
U.S. Revives Cold War Submarine Spy Program to Counter China
one in Challenger Deep in the Mariana Trench, the deepest known point on earth; the other near Yap, an island in the Federated States of Micronesia. Though China says these sensors are used for scientific purposes, they could detect submarine movements near the U.S. naval base on Guam, a Pacific island territory, the Navy sources said.China’s Ministry of Defense did not respond to requests for comment about any aspect of this story. China's Foreign Ministry declined to comment.The U.S. Navy’s surveillance push is driven by three main factors, according to the three people
Canada's TMC to Seek Seabed Mining License in 2024
, triggered what is known as the "two-year rule" in 2021.The rule put the ISA under pressure to "consider and provisionally approve" applications within two years even if it had not finished devising a regulatory code for the industry.Deep sea mining could provide Nauru, a tiny Pacific island state with a population of around 11,000 people, with a vital source of income as it tries to manage the impact of climate change as well as a decline in tourist revenues during the COVID-19 pandemic.It has said deep sea mining could cause environmental damage, and asked the ISA to set limits
Deep-sea Mining: A New Gold Rush or Environmental Disaster?
nature - including a historic deal in March to defend marine biodiversity on the high seas.For example, the Norwegian government last month announced a proposal to open its national waters to deep-sea mining, whereas in January, France banned the practice in its waters.However, it was the tiny Pacific island nation of Nauru that sparked controversy and concern in mid-2021 when it notified the ISA of plans to start deep-sea mining - triggering a two-year deadline for the body to adopt an industry rulebook.By doing so, Nauru - which sponsors Nauru Ocean Resources Inc (NORI), a subsidiary of TMC - required
Inside the Subsea Cable Firm Secretly Helping America Take on China
Coughlan helped Slattery pull off his first major cable deal in the late 2000s, setting him on course to become one of Australia’s wealthiest tech moguls, according to two industry sources with knowledge of the matter.That project, a SubCom-built cable running between Brisbane and Guam, a U.S. Pacific island territory that’s also home to a naval base, almost bankrupted Slattery, the businessman told the Australian Financial Review in a 2016 interview.Thanks to sympathetic suppliers, Slattery got that cable, known as PIPE, over the line, according to the Financial Review article. Crucially,
How Will the Fukushima Water Release Impact the Pacific Ocean?
much-needed space for other vital remediation works. But the plan has attracted controversy.At first glance, releasing radioactive water into the ocean does sound like a terrible idea. Greenpeace feared the radioactivity released might change human DNA, China and South Korea expressed disquiet, while Pacific Island nations were concerned about further nuclear contamination of the Blue Pacific. One academic publication claimed the total global social welfare cost could exceed US$200 billion.But the Japanese government, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and independent scientists have declared
As Nations Pledge to Create Ocean Preserves, How Do Those Promises Add Up?
are fully implemented, they will protect only 4% of the world’s ocean. Adding in all other protected areas and outstanding commitments made in other forums raises that figure to 8.9%.The number is likely to rise as additional countries join in. For example, on May 30, 2022, the South Pacific island nation of Niue pledged to protect 100% of its national waters. They cover 122,000 square miles (317,500 square kilometers) – an area roughly the size of Vietnam.Most recently, the Biden administration proposed on June 8, 2022 to designate Hudson Canyon, which lies southeast of New York
February 2025
