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Pacific Islands need robust laws to protect their deep sea minerals

Tuesday, 12 March 2013 16:17 administrator
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Source: Matangi Tonga Online. Republished With Editor's Permission.

The Pacific Islands need to protect their deep sea minerals, Tonga's Deputy Prime Minister Hon. Samiu Vaipulu told a Pacific-ACP States Regional Workshop on Deep Sea Minerals Law and Contract Negotiations that opened at the Fa'onelua Convention Centre, in Nuku'alofa today on March 11.

Representatives of 15 Pacific States are attending the week-long workshop.

Mike Petterson the Director of SOPAC, the Applied Geoscience and Technology Division of the Secretariat of the Pacific Community (SPC), said today that the workshop will focus on the legislative and regulatory aspects of deep sea minerals.

He said the workshop is aimed at sharing information on a number of developments that SOPAC is working on, including developing legislation for the extraction of deep sea minerals. "What we want achieve is largely capacity building, as like any other economic activity, Pacific states are a little bit compromised by multinational and well-resourced companies coming in," he said.

"We need to know how to negotiate and drive a hard deal. We have to prepare ourselves as best we can by developing our negotiating skills, along with a network of people that we trust and know, and to work with industries and countries that we feel that will be responsible and want a long-term working relationship, and for our communities to benefit while the environment is protected as best we can."

Mike said some Pacific Island countries already had legislation for deep sea minerals. But it was a new thing for the Pacific Islanders to consider who has the rights to the minerals, who gains from it and how can we put in place a transparent system, while looking at the environmental issues, he said.

He said for decades the main issue had been the lack of knowledge as to where minerals are, what type of minerals are out there, as there are many deposits to discover in the ocean.

"But we are now at a point where there are few areas in the Pacific that have been identified to be attractive and that's a breakthrough. Now it is becoming an economic reality and to make sure that countries maximize the benefits, which is never easy and requires hard work so we want representatives to walk away armed with more knowledge and be aware of the range of issues we have to cope with," he said.

Last Updated on Monday, 18 March 2013 16:09 Read more...
 

Pacific officials preparing for seabed mining negotiations

Thursday, 07 March 2013 11:45 administrator
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For the developing economies of the Pacific the prospect of untold mineral wealth being mined from under the sea is an enticing one.

Already Papua New Guinea has approved the first deep sea mining project in the region, and prospecting surveys have been carried off the coasts of several other countries.

Allied to that officials from around the Pacific will meet in Tonga next week to learn how to get the best deals from companies offering to mine within their exclusive economic zones.

Dr Mike Petterson, the Director of SOPAC, the Applied Geoscience and Technology Division of the Secretariat of the South Pacific Community says the aim is to make sure countries are well prepared to handle negotiations with the big mining companies.

Listen to full interview (8.17 min)

Source: ABC Radio Australia - Link

Speaker: Prof. Mike Petterson, Director, SOPAC Geoscience and Technology (SOPAC), Secretariat of the Pacific Community, SPC.

Last Updated on Thursday, 07 March 2013 12:01
 

Snapshots 82 - Disaster Reduction Programe - January to February, 2013

Thursday, 07 March 2013 11:33 administrator
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Welcome to the first edition of Snapshots for 2013!

It's taken us a while but we've finally been able to get something together to give you some understanding of the work being undertaken by the SPC/SOPAC Disaster Reduction Programme. These are just tidbits of a wider range of initiatives, the developments of which, we hope to share with our readers over the course of 2013.

The year has gotten off to a bang but unfortunately not the kind that we would have wanted. The disasters that affected both Samoa and Fiji as a result of Tropical Cyclone Evan in December required some immediate attention early in January. Through a collaborative effort with the SPC/SOPAC Water and Sanitation Programme, we deployed two staff to assist Samoa's post disaster needs assessment . In February, we provided similar assistance to Fiji (just coming to completion as this goes to print so watch this space for news on the Fiji post disaster needs assessment). We also, per the tireless contribution of Litea Biukoto, were able to support post disaster assessment work in the Solomon Islands which was impacted by an earthquake and  tsunami in early February.

So, there's been no let up this - made even more interesting since other activities continue as scheduled. Alas, such is the life of those of us in this line of work. We have a number of interesting stories in this edition. The Pacific Disaster Net has reached a significant milestone; our work in French Polynesia is making significant progress; the B Envelope project continues to add another success to its portfolio of activities, and more.

I hope you enjoy reading our stories and please 'stay tuned' for more as we progress in the coming months.

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Mosese Sikivou
Deputy Directory, Disaster Reduction Programme

Last Updated on Thursday, 07 March 2013 11:38
 

Kingdom of Tonga to Host Regional Workshop on Law and Contract Negotiations for Deep Sea Minerals in the Pacific (March 11-15, 2013)

Tuesday, 05 March 2013 11:42 administrator
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From March 11-15th 2013, the Kingdom of Tonga is to host a regional workshop on “Law and Contract Negotiations for Deep Sea Minerals” in Nuku’alofa, on behalf of the SPC-EU Pacific Deep Sea Minerals Project.  

The Pacific Deep Sea Minerals Project is funded by the European Union and managed by SOPAC, the Applied Geoscience & Technology Division of the Secretariat of the Pacific Community. The project includes 15 Pacific Island Countries: the Cook Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Fiji, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Nauru, Niue, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Timor Leste, Tonga, Tuvalu and Vanuatu.

Hannah Lily, Legal Adviser for the Pacific Deep Sea Minerals Project, says a main objective of the Tonga workshop is to provide government officials with the knowledge, skills and confidence to negotiate effectively with well-resourced deep sea mining companies.  Ms. Lily says the Project stresses the importance for countries to put in place robust law and regulatory mechanisms for the national management of deep sea minerals before any negotiations take place.

“We strongly recommend that countries have these mechanisms in place before any individual project negotiations commence. Dedicated seabed minerals legislation will assist the country to meet its obligations under international law, such as the protection of the marine environment. It will also provide clarity and stability to that country’s operating environment and what it expects from mineral companies.”

“Seabed mineral resources represent an exciting new economic opportunity for Pacific Island States. But, in order to make the most of this opportunity, governments will need to find responsible exploration and mining companies, and work to set terms that provide sufficient protection and financial return to the country,” she says.

Last Updated on Tuesday, 05 March 2013 11:46 Read more...
 

New Zealand Funding Agreement for Marine Geoscience Services by Oceans and Islands Programme

Wednesday, 27 February 2013 10:54 administrator
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H.E. Linda Te Puni, New Zealand Consul General in New Caledonia, and Dr Jimmie Rodgers, Director-General of SPC, have signed a new grant funding agreement totaling NZD 6.1 million.

The funding consists of New Zealand’s annual contribution (approximately half of the total) and a grant for regional services in the areas of Oceanic Fisheries, Coastal Fisheries, Land Resources, Statistics, Ocean and Islands (geoscience), and Public Health. Details are below.

Membership assessed contribution NZD 3,045,000 and Purchase of regional services NZD 3,055,000 – broken down as follows:

Oceanic Fisheries NZD NZD 430,000
Coastal Fisheries NZD 310,000
Centre for Pacific Crops and Trees NZD 245,000
Para-veterinary training NZD 245,000
Statistics for Development NZD 300,000
Ocean and Islands (geoscience) NZD 1,025,000
Public Health NZD 500,000

Ms Te Puni stated that all of the programmes supported by New Zealand in 2013 address issues that are central to the development of the Pacific region, and that the funding demonstrates New Zealand’s commitment to contributing to the Pacific region’s development agenda through its bilateral and targeted regional assistance.

Last Updated on Wednesday, 27 February 2013 11:15 Read more...
 
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Page 25 of 74

Newsflash

Monday 17 June 2013, Secretariat of the Pacific Community (SPC) –  The Secretariat of the Pacific Community (SPC), with Geoscience Australia, has developed a computer model to help the Government of Tonga see what the impact of a tsunami would be on Tongatapu. Part of an AusAID funded project, the model makes use of high resolution data, the collection of which was made possible by Australia, the European Union, and the New Zealand Ocean Sciences Grant.

The new Tsunami Inundation Model shows that an 8.7 magnitude earthquake in the Tonga Trench would create a wave that would hit the eastern coast of Tongatapu within ten to twenty minutes, inundating most of Nuku’alofa.  Leveni ‘Aho, Director of Tonga’s National Disaster Management Office, says the new computer model has enabled the Government of Tonga to consider how the public would need to respond in a range of possible scenarios.

‘Nuku’alofa has, perhaps, the biggest urban population in the Pacific living in a very low-lying area. We can talk about Japan’s earthquakes but if we can present something that shows what is going to happen to us here at home, the message is much more effective.  For us, it’s an excellent opportunity to help communities to be aware of what could possibly come and what they will need to do if a significant event occurs,’ he says.

After the model was presented to the cabinet and the National Emergency Management Committee, the Hon. Prime Minister Lord Tuʻivakanō indicated that the government would need support to construct access ways to some parts of Nuku’alofa so that the local community can quickly get to safe areas.

Mr ‘Aho says the model is also helping the Government of Tonga to design emergency response measures and improve long-term urban planning for Nuku’alofa and its surrounding villages.‘The tsunami computer model given by SPC has provided the government with a wonderful tool to help us really understand the risks of different scenarios and to prepare in the best ways we can,’ he says.

Mosese Sikivou, Deputy Director of SPC’s Disaster Reduction Programme, says this project is part of SPC’s assistance to Tonga in connection with its Joint National Action Plan for Climate Change Adaptation and Disaster Risk Management, approved by Cabinet in July 2010. The work to develop the model is part of an integrated approach that SPC and other partners are taking right across the Pacific to try and maximise scarce resources and minimise duplication of effort and potential conflict in policy development.