In the Pacific, states divided over seabed mining
Most Pacific island states are following the precautionary principle and supporting the International Seabed Authority to address the issue of ocean exploration and mining. However, four of them are willing to enter the race.
“We don't expect anything from ocean regulation. We want to make sure that if deep-sea mining is to go ahead, it will be done without harming the environment.” This is how Teburoro Tito, Kiribati's representative to the United Nations, justifies his government's position in Pacific Beat, a podcast on Australia's public broadcaster ABC . The island nation allows deep-sea exploration and is looking for partners to do so.
It is one of the countries exercising rights over the Clarion-Clipperton Zone (CCZ), a vast region of international waters in the Pacific regulated by the International Seabed Authority (ISA). And because the CCZ is believed to be rich in minerals useful in the manufacture of electric batteries, it is highly coveted. Currently, no one on the planet has begun mining seabed minerals, but this could happen in the coming years.
In March, Kiribati's Minister of Fisheries and Marine Resources said he had met with the Chinese ambassador to 'explore possible collaborations on sustainable exploitation of
Courrier International
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