Breaking the Surface: The Future of Deep Sea Mining in the Pacific

Summary

Papua 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

00:00

🌊 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.

05:01

💼 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.

Keywords

💡Deep-sea mining

Deep-sea mining refers to the process of extracting minerals and other valuable materials from the ocean floor, typically at great depths. In the video, this concept is central as Papua New Guinea (PNG) is poised to initiate this pioneering activity in partnership with Nautilus Minerals, targeting a hydrothermal vent system 1,600 meters below the Bismark Sea's surface. This activity is significant for its potential economic benefits but also raises concerns about environmental impacts.

💡Hydrothermal vent

A hydrothermal vent is a fissure in a planet's surface from which geothermally heated water issues. These vents are of interest for deep-sea mining due to the rich deposits of minerals they can contain. The script mentions a hydrothermal vent system as the target of the mining operation, highlighting the potential for valuable mineral extraction.

💡Bismark Sea

The Bismark Sea is the area where the deep-sea mining site is located, as mentioned in the script. It is a body of water in the southwestern Pacific Ocean, and the mining activities are planned to take place 1,600 meters below its surface. The sea's mention situates the geographical context of the mining operations.

💡Nautilus Minerals

Nautilus Minerals is a Canadian company collaborating with the PNG government for deep-sea mining operations. The company's involvement is highlighted in the script as they have been granted a production license, indicating their role in pioneering this industry and the potential economic opportunities it presents.

💡Marine environment

The marine environment encompasses the complex ecosystem of the ocean. The script raises questions about the impacts of deep-sea mining on this environment, as the activity could disrupt marine life and ecosystems, which are crucial for the livelihoods of coastal communities.

💡Livelihoods

Livelihoods refer to the means of securing the basic necessities of life. The script discusses how communities dependent on the marine environment for their livelihoods might be affected by deep-sea mining. It underscores the need to balance economic benefits against potential disruptions to traditional ways of life.

💡Regulatory framework

A regulatory framework consists of the laws, rules, and guidelines that govern a particular industry or activity. The script emphasizes the importance of establishing such a framework for deep-sea mining to manage its development responsibly. PNG's experience is highlighted as a potential model for other Pacific nations to learn from.

💡Community consultation

Community consultation is the process of seeking the views and input of community members regarding decisions that affect them. The script mentions that PNG has been consulting local communities and stakeholders about the mining plans, indicating an attempt to include local perspectives and minimize negative impacts.

💡Equity stake

An equity stake represents an ownership share in a company. The script notes that the PNG government decided to take a 15% equity stake in the Nautilus offshore mining operation, signifying the government's direct financial interest in the project's success and its potential to benefit from the mining revenues.

💡Community Development Fund

A Community Development Fund is a financial resource intended to support local community initiatives. Nautilus is mentioned to establish such a fund to meet locally determined priorities like schools and health clinics, demonstrating a commitment to回馈社区 and address local needs arising from the mining activities.

💡Coastal area of benefit

A coastal area of benefit is a designated region that recognizes and aims to support communities living near offshore mining activities. The script discusses PNG's designation of such an area to acknowledge those communities and ensure that mining investments benefit them, reflecting an effort to distribute the project's benefits locally.

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