Deep Sea Mining in the Cook Islands

by Antoinette Parker

Minerals contain metals that are vital components of technological gadgets that the current
global society has come to rely on in order to function properly. In 2014, a report by the UNEP
showed that global stock for raw mineral was dwindling because of increased material usage
and a high demand for these metals. The diminishing stock means that corporations must now
search for other sources of metals to cater for the demand of improved technological gadgets.
Industries are now looking at deep sea mining as the alternative to earth mining, in order to
find these precious metals and because the Pacific Ocean is so vast and deep, there are
untouched regions of rich minerals. One such place is the Cook Islands, where it was recently
discovered to have about 10 billion tonnes of manganeses nodules (Neate, 2013).
Manganese Nodules is composed of nickel, copper, cobalt, iron ore, and other minerals. They are
potato-sized, irregular in shape, and brownish black in color and are found on the ocean floor (Payne,
1978). These nodules are considered to be of greatest importance in the sea today.

Deep sea mining is quite an intricate way of extracting rare earth elements and according to the
Massachusetts Institute of Technology, actual mining for these rare elements has not been
attempted simply because of the huge costs involved and the environmental issues that go with
it. In 2013, Rupert Neate of the The Guardian reported that the Cook Islands was hoping to
improve its economy drastically through the mining of its seabed in order to collect minerals.
These minerals are believed to be worth a lot of money and because of Cook Islands current
economic situation, this could be seen as a way out for this tiny Pacific nation. However, the
leaders of this nation would be required to exercise duty of care in ensuring that the
environment would not be severely damaged and it didnt affect other marine life. The
government also has a social responsibility towards its people in ensuring that their livelihood
(fishing, pearl cultivation etc) would not be affected as well. President Henry Puna is faced with
an ethical dilemma should he allow the mining to go ahead and rake in the millions of dollars
to help improve the economy or should he protect the oceans that surround the tiny island
nation that provides sustenance and income for his people. It would not be an easy decision to
make and he would need to consult with those who will be directly affected and the
environmental impact this would have on the marine life. He will have to consider the greatest
good for the masses and not just the few.

There are many environmental issues that are associated with deep sea mining. For the
purpose of this essay I will highlight some of the impacts that are associated with the presence
of the ship or ships at the surface of the water, the disturbance of the sea floor by introducing
light to an area that is normally absent of light and the change in water content around the area
that is being mined.

Sea-going vessels often flush out waste water and other mechanical waste into the ocean
without the crew realizing how detrimental this can be to the many species of life that live in
the ocean. Ships not only pollute the waters that surround them, they also churn out smoke
which pollutes the air. The engines of these vessels are very loud and the vibrations from the
noise disturb some marine species and can affect its behavior and feeding pattern. Then there
is the oil leakage which is quite serious because spilled oil can harm living things because its
chemical constituents are poisonous (Government, 2016) and most marine life rely on each other to
survive. In an effort to minimize the negative impact vessels may have on the ocean, every care
should be taken by mining industries to have ships outfitted with proper working equipment,
rigid procedures of mining and handling of accidents (oil spillage) and stricter drilling
procedures and laws should be put in place. Even though mining may not take place for
several years, precautionary performance standards, environmental regulations, and the
establishment of Marine Protected Areas may help guide the marine mining industry toward a
goal of minimizing environmental impacts (Halfar & Rodney, 2002) This is an example of
anthropocentrism where the environment is necessary for survival but measures are put in
place to ensure that it is protected as well.

In the video The Cook Islands Ocean Wealth (Nations, 2014) Kevin Iro noticed a significant
drop in the number of fish that was caught by fishermen and the dying coral. This could be
attributed to the increased commercial interests in the minerals that are found around the
island. The waters in the Cook Islands are filled with many species of marine life and some of
these species live in the deepest parts of the ocean where sunlight has never penetrated. These
species have adapted to living without light and seabed mining will most definitely disrupt its
way of life. This disruption can lead to abnormal feeding and reproductive habits which of
course will lead to a decrease in the population of such species. All marine life have a part to
play in the ocean showing their interconnectedness and should one species suffer so too will
the others. In 2012 the island nation imposed a ban on commercial fishing spanning around
424,000 square miles and stated that half of its exclusive economic zonewould become a
marine park (Howard, 2014). However, pressure from the public resulted in a further
expansion of the marine park. This is an example of biocentrism, where the islanders are
making every effort to protect the marine life and the waters they live in.

Deep sea mining involves drilling into the seabed to extract minerals that contain precious
metals. The drilling process changes the water content and the lucidity. The drilling causes
gases and minerals to be released into the water. These changes will definitely affect the
marine life that lives at that depth of the ocean. Also when minerals have been lifted to the
mining vessel they are dewatered and the discarded waste almost certainly ends up back in the
ocean. This composition of the discarded water will be different and may contain small
amounts of poisonous chemicals. Consumption of the tainted water by marine life may create
the possibility of bioaccumulation through the food chain (Coffey, 2008). The government of
Cook Islands acknowledges that deep sea mining raises grave environmental concerns. Mr Paul
Lynch, the seabed minerals commissioner of Cook Islands stated that the countrys good,
clean, green beaches are not something they want to harm just for the sake of mineral wealth.
In order to protect its environment the government also introduced legislation with regards to
deep sea minerals and has established a Seabed Minerals Authority (SMA). The Cook Islands has
an obligation not only locally but internationally as well to protect the marine environment.
This can be seen as an example of extensionism, whereby the rights of the creatures in the
ocean are also given due consideration.

In conclusion, deep sea mining is more detrimental to the environment than it is positive.
Three of the many factors that led to this conclusion are the seepage or spillage of oil from the
mining vessels that transport staff; mining also interrupts and disturbs various marine species
at different depths of the oceans and it alters the water composition. Deep sea mining is still
an area that has not been explored vigorously but, it is slowly gaining popularity. The global
technological demand is the leading reason for first world nations interest in the oceans bed.
Deep sea mining is a costly affair that has deterred commercial explorations, but it wont be
long before some engineering ingenuity will become a cheaper option for these explorers. In
the meantime, every effort should be made by small island nations to collectively voice their
concerns. Pacific island nations are already experiencing adverse weather effects and rising sea
level because of global warming and agreeing to deep sea mining will only hasten the process
of depleting our earth of its natural resources.
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