Breaking the Surface: The Future of Deep Sea Mining in the Pacific
Summary
TLDRPapua New Guinea is poised to pioneer deep-sea mining, partnering with Nautilus Minerals to exploit hydrothermal vents in the Bismark Sea. The government consults local communities and stakeholders on managing this industry, which could provide significant revenue for Pacific island nations. Concerns about the environmental impact and community livelihoods are addressed. Vanuatu and PNG work together to develop policies and regulations for this emerging industry, aiming to balance economic benefits with environmental stewardship.
Takeaways
- 🌊 Papua New Guinea is poised to be the first country to initiate deep-sea mining, partnering with Canadian company Nautilus Minerals.
- 📍 The mining site is located 1,600 meters below the Bismark Sea, near small communities on PNG's New Ireland province.
- 🤝 The PNG government is consulting with local communities and stakeholders to manage the emerging industry's development.
- 💰 Deep-sea minerals could provide significant revenue for Pacific Island nations, but concerns exist about environmental impacts.
- 🌍 The film explores how PNG and Vanuatu are working with communities to manage the future opportunities and impacts of deep-sea mining.
- 📉 Over 300 deep-sea exploration licenses have been granted, yet many Pacific Island countries lack the necessary policies and regulations.
- 🏛️ Vanuatu is conducting community consultations to determine the best approach to manage deep-sea mining's potential opportunities and impacts.
- 💼 The PNG government took a 15% equity stake in the Nautilus offshore mining operation, which is projected to contribute significantly to the economy.
- 🏭 On land, PNG's mining industry already contributes up to 70% of the country's export revenues, with most proceeds going to the central government.
- 🤝 Nautilus plans to establish a Community Development Fund to address local priorities like schools, health clinics, and roads.
- 📜 The PNG government has designated a coastal area of benefit to recognize communities living near offshore mining activities and ensure investment supports community development.
Q & A
Which country is likely to be the first to begin deep-sea mining?
-Papua New Guinea.
Which Canadian company is collaborating with the PNG government for deep-sea mining?
-Nautilus Minerals.
What is the depth of the hydrothermal vent system that Nautilus Minerals is planning to mine?
-The hydrothermal vent system is located 1,600 meters below the surface of the Bismark Sea.
How far is the deep-sea mining site from the small communities along PNG's New Ireland province?
-The site is just 30 kilometers from the small communities.
What are the potential benefits of deep-sea minerals for Pacific island nations?
-Deep-sea minerals could provide much-needed revenue for several Pacific island nations.
What concerns remain about the impacts of deep-sea mining on the marine environment and local communities?
-There are concerns about the impacts of mining on the marine environment and the livelihoods of communities that depend on it.
What steps is Vanuatu taking to manage the potential opportunities and impacts of deep-sea mining?
-Vanuatu is undertaking detailed consultation with their communities about the best way to manage the potential opportunities and impacts.
What percentage equity stake did the PNG government decide to take in the Nautilus offshore mining operation?
-The PNG government decided to take a 15% equity stake.
What does Nautilus plan to establish to meet locally determined priorities like schools and health clinics?
-Nautilus plans to establish a Community Development Fund.
What is the role of the Secretariat of the Pacific Community in helping island nations manage deep-sea resources?
-The Secretariat of the Pacific Community started a project to help island nations strengthen the management of these valuable deep-sea resources.
What is the stance of the churches and the National Council of Women on deep-sea mining?
-The churches and the National Council of Women have said no to deep-sea mining.
Outlines
🌊 Deep-Sea Mining in Papua New Guinea
Papua New Guinea is poised to pioneer deep-sea mining with the Canadian company Nautilus Minerals. They plan to mine a hydrothermal vent system 1,600 meters below the Bismark Sea, near communities on PNG's New Island province. The government has been consulting with local communities and stakeholders to manage this new industry. Deep-sea minerals could provide revenue for Pacific island nations, but concerns exist about the environmental impact and effects on communities reliant on the marine environment. The film explores how PNG and Vanuatu are working with communities to manage future opportunities and impacts of this industry. There is a need for policies and regulations to manage deep-sea mining, and countries like Vanuatu are consulting their communities to find the best way to do so. The PNG government believes that other Pacific nations can learn from its experiences to develop suitable regulatory frameworks.
💼 Community and Economic Impacts of Deep-Sea Mining
The script discusses the challenges faced by Papua New Guinea in regulating deep-sea mining, as the country's constitution states that the state owns all minerals and waters. Nautilus Minerals plans to establish a Community Development Fund to address local priorities like schools and health clinics, but local communities seek direct employment opportunities from the mining of deep-sea mineral resources. The PNG government has designated a coastal area of benefit to recognize communities living near offshore mining activities and is negotiating a memorandum of agreement among various stakeholders. In Vanuatu, the SPC EU deep-sea minerals project has helped develop a national consultation process for the country's first deep-sea minerals policy. The project aims to ensure transparency and public accountability in the management of deep-sea mineral resources. The script highlights the importance of learning from each other's experiences and building capacity to respond to the challenges associated with this emerging industry.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Deep-sea mining
💡Hydrothermal vent
💡Bismark Sea
💡Nautilus Minerals
💡Marine environment
💡Livelihoods
💡Regulatory framework
💡Community consultation
💡Equity stake
💡Community Development Fund
💡Coastal area of benefit
Highlights
Papua New Guinea is set to pioneer deep-sea mining.
PNG government collaborates with Canadian company Nautilus Minerals.
Mining operations target a hydrothermal vent system 1,600 meters below sea level.
The mining site is close to small communities on PNG's New Island province.
PNG government consults local communities and stakeholders on industry development.
Deep-sea minerals could provide revenue for Pacific island nations.
Concerns remain about the environmental impact of deep-sea mining.
PNG and Vanuatu explore opportunities and impacts of deep-sea mining.
Pacific countries lack policies and regulations for deep-sea mining.
Vanuatu consults communities on managing deep-sea mining opportunities and impacts.
Deep-sea mining is discussed as a potential revenue source for development.
PNG government aims to provide regulatory lessons for other Pacific nations.
The Secretariat of the Pacific Community starts a project to help manage deep-sea resources.
Pacific deep-sea minerals project helps develop national policies and legislation.
PNG government takes a 15% equity stake in Nautilus offshore mining operation.
Nautilus estimates significant economic contribution from the mining project.
Local communities seek direct employment opportunities from mining.
PNG designates a coastal area of benefit for communities near offshore mining.
Vanuatu develops a national consultation process for its first deep-sea minerals policy.
Public accountability and transparency are emphasized in managing deep-sea mineral resources.
Pacific Island nations aim to manage the new global industry on their own terms.
Countries learn from each other's experiences and legislation regarding deep-sea mining.
Transcripts
the Pacific island nation of Papua New
Guinea looks likely to be the first
country in the world to begin the
pioneering process of deep-sea mining
the PNG government has been working with
the Canadian company Nautilus minerals
to mine a hydrothermal vent system that
lies 1,600 metres below the surface of
the Bismark sea the sole whare one
deep-sea mining site is just 30
kilometres from the small isolated
communities that live along the central
west coast of pngs new island province
the PNG government has been consulting
local communities and national
stakeholders about its plans to manage
the development of this new industry but
while deep sea minerals could provide
much needed revenue for several Pacific
island nations questions remain about
the impacts of mining on the marine
environment and the many communities
that depend on it for their livelihoods
in this short film we explore how the
two Pacific island nations of Papua New
Guinea and Vanuatu are working together
with their communities to manage the
future opportunities and impacts
associated with this emerging industry
we never really pay attention to this
sector until when we were put under
pressure in 2008 when a production
license was granted to Nautilus so we
had to do to quickly organize ourselves
to to regulate for also mining
throughout the Pacific more than 300
exploration licenses for deep sea
minerals have already been granted but
many Pacific Island countries still lack
the policies and regulations that are
urgently needed to manage this emerging
industry
countries such as Vanuatu are now
undertaking detailed consultation with
their communities about the best way to
manage the potential opportunities and
impacts associated with deep-sea mining
the only issue is it's a possible source
of revenue for the country and for
communities and for development and
that's the only reason this issue is
even being discussed so that's you know
that that's the mandate for this
concession happening is that there is
that possibility the PNG government
believes that other Pacific nations
could learn valuable lessons from its
recent experiences by ensuring that a
suitable regulatory framework is in
place well in advance of any mining
activities the benefit to other
countries is that they can also learn
from our mistakes I guess and and and
also try to develop their own policies
in deep-sea murals and also their
legislation so that by the time they're
able to implement an offshore project
you know they have this regulatory
frameworks in place to actually
implement also mining process in their
respective countries following a request
from Pacific leaders the Secretariat of
the Pacific community started a new
project to help island nations to
strengthen the management of these
valuable deep-sea Resources since 2011
the Pacific deep sea minerals project
which is managed in collaboration with
the European Union has been helping
Pacific nations to develop appropriate
national policies and legislation that
are based on solid science white public
consultation and effective regulations
we are really really strict to that and
we really want to be sure that they get
the best deal again and if they are not
ready to engage with that industry our
advice is that there is no rush
in 2014 after much negotiation the PMG
government decided to take a 15% equity
stake in the Nautilus offshore mining
operation Nautilus now estimates that
the sole whare one project will
contribute more than a hundred million
u.s. dollars to the PNG economy while
pngs on land mining industry already
contributes up to 70% of the country's
export revenues most of the proceeds
from this mining activity goes directly
into the central government purse it's
been difficult possibly when we did a
consultation and you have to tell people
that unfortunately in this instance for
sub project it's a state that owns the
waters and owns the minerals and there
are no land owners with respect to also
approaches mining projects so it's been
a difficult issue that we have dealt
with and as you know that our
Constitution basically states that the
state owns all minerals and all waters
in Papua New Guinea
Nautilus says it will also establish a
Community Development Fund to meet
locally determined priorities such as
schools health clinics and improved
roads but many local community members
on the central west coast of new island
say they want to see direct employment
opportunities generated by the
development of local deep sea Mineral
Resources below poverty like what we are
saying is that fair enough with the
government has already given their
mining license we want to make sure that
we are covered or we are part and parcel
of the entire process we want to see at
least an area within the West Coast
where the solar one develop into a
Township that can be able to give us
easy access services and all these
things the Papua New Guinea government
has now designated a coastal area of
benefit in an effort to recognize those
communities that live on the coastal
areas nearest to any offshore mining
activities a clear memorandum of
agreement must now be negotiated between
the national government the mining
company the provincial government and
local community Ward's and the
government says this approach will
ensure that any investment is used to
support the development of major
projects that will benefit the entire
community in Vanuatu the spc EU deep sea
minerals project has assisted the
government to develop a full national
consultation process to inform the
development of the country's first-ever
deep sea minerals policy it's a hard
concept to get your head around you know
mining at the bottom of the ocean so
yeah that's why it's good to have
there's a couple of films we have which
actually show the you know the arms of
the machine
picking the stone up and stuff from
to go down there they're using robots
and with robots but no common sense
and down there there are lots of things
that you know we saw it on the TV
they're little holes or whatever where
air is coming out and whatever else and
if we happen to have a power cut up
there on the ship this thing bangs
something down there need erupts what's
gonna happen the churches and and the
National Council of women have said no
to deep-sea mining but I don't take that
to me prospecting I think prospecting
has value for just collecting data about
what's down there because we don't have
anything so I think the general position
has been that prospecting is should
continue as a way of just establishing a
some sort of baselines before we decide
what the next step is the SBC EU deep
sea minerals project has been supporting
all Pacific Island countries to ensure
that the future management of their Deep
Sea Mineral Resources is built on
greater transparency and stronger public
accountability as a result of this
important regional project it is widely
hoped that the small island nations of
the Pacific will continue to work
collaboratively to manage the emergence
of his new global industry on their own
terms
we've learned from the Puka lands what
what have done in the legislation which
is a good thing and we are now seeing
other countries know where they are
working on this as well but we still
have a lot to learn from each countries
but to the dsm project it will only
assist us to do as the place better
related framework for yes I'm activities
in our Pacific countries they can
develop their capacity to be sure that
they will be able to respond to the
emerging challenges associated with that
industry meanwhile they can learn from
the countries are more advanced and that
they are going to share also their
experiences and probably the lesson
learnt from that
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