Today’s article is by June Hosking, president of Te Ipukarea Society. It is based on information she received from family and friends that attended the Cook Islands Government’s presentation to the Cook Islands community in Christchurch last week. The title for this article is taken from an apt comment her niece overheard at the presentation.

The local Cook Islands community’s sincere welcome, music, drumming and refreshments were very much appreciated. Unfortunately, the consultation had its fair share of logistical hiccups, with an event originally advertised to be from 5pm – 8pm, ending up being 6.45pm to well after 11pm.

The unexpected change to the start time, the Prime Minister’s late arrival (due to peak hour traffic) and drawn-out schedule tested patience, with at least half (if not more) of the attendees leaving before the end of the presentation. It’s tough when a meeting meant to engage and inform, ends up being a test of endurance.  

My son, Jonny, noted that the Prime Minister’s three pillars (church, government, traditional leaders) pretty much said the same thing; i.e. we need to diversify, get rich, have new job opportunities, and assist the transition to clean energy. However, we don’t have enough locals to fill jobs already and people are finding other ways to diversify in business and career paths. As for the clean energy transition – if life is lost and ecosystems destroyed, can anyone claim this is clean energy?

The PM Mark Brown mentioned that technology is advancing, so the metals may not be needed in the future, which is why he wants to harvest the nodules while they’re still valuable. In Maori, he concluded that we can choose to take this opportunity… or miss out. This FOMO (fear of missing out) thinking causes panic, less care and patience for the research process, and collaborative consultation over the results.

Recently I was at a Blue Planet Alliance (BPA) forum with Government representatives. BPA’s aim is 100 per cent clean energy (for electricity) by 2045. They made it clear that they do not believe Deep Sea Mining (DSM) is needed for the clean energy transition.

My son found the science portion interesting, but when Te Ipukarea’s director was mentioned, he jumped up to question why John Parianos of Cook Islands Seabed Minerals Authority hadn’t reflected TIS’s stance against DSM in his talk. John replied that TIS is not against DSM, but for getting it done properly.

The following excerpts from director Alanna Smith, speaking during the WISE expedition, I trust clarifies TIS’s position: “Supporting deep ocean research does not mean supporting deep sea mining. It is important to have trained observers onboard to ensure transparency, making sure that the data being collected is shared, but also ensuring that there is good science and good questions … for example a mining company’s research could be sided towards mineral quality and where the nodules are most dense …. having little attention to what life is in these spaces ... To reiterate, participation on this expedition does not mean support for DSM.”

The 45 minutes (approx.) Q&A had only one question relating to the environment. After seeing the slides and listening to a recording of the night, I would say this is because risks to the environment were just glanced over, not explained, so people still don’t know enough to form questions.

My son posed a pointed question about environmental impact – One of the slides shows an approximation of the effect three operations over thirty years would have (approximately 1.2 per cent of the EEZ). Is there a reality where enough operations could, over one generation (30 years) destroy the entire EEZ? John Parianos replied that hypothetically yes, which is why we need to get things right to have only an acceptable level of damage (Paraphrased). Clearly both sides agree there will be long-term implications for ecosystems.

As one attendee said, in Maori, at the end of the night … fulfil your dream. If it works out well, it’s ours. If it turns bad, it’s yours.

But it isn’t that simple, if for example, fish stocks are depleted because of linked ecosystems in the chain being destroyed, then everyone who relies on fish suffers.

The recounting from family is not just a summary of events, but a reflection on the need for better planning, engagement, and transparency. When these ‘consultations’ are about such a significant and potentially life changing move, why have the NGOs not been included? It is at best a road show, at worst a propaganda tour, but without all parties present, it is not a consultation.

E te au tangata Kuki Airani, akamanako o’onu. Consider what level of damage to our ocean is acceptable. Our answers will shape our future, our way of life and our Marae Moana.