Exprimental Seabed Mining

LOCATING INFORMATION ON SEABED MINING Now where does one get information on seabed mining?  A list of   Vocabulary   on sea bed mining is provided that one may use as search terms are provided. The   Vocabulary   is arranged in sections: 1, Geography; 2. Marine; 3. Marine Mining; 5. Regulations.  It is not an exhaustive list but starters. This is followed by some links from Google searches that the reader may follow and read in order to get informed on the subject of seabed mining. Some of the links are annotated. Some of these are informational on the subject while others are links to opposition on sea bed mining.  Vocabulary 1. Geography Bismarck Archipelago . -  1. An archipelago located in the Solomon Sea where islands such as New Britain and New Ireland are located . 2.Island group of  Papua New Guinea  in the  Bismarck Sea , southwestern  Pacific Ocean , that lies northeast of the is...

Modern Interests on Marine Stones Today seabed mining interest and activities has found its way into territories rich in minerals for harvesting of the precious stones. The Bismarck Archipelago is one rich area. The modern practice of harvesting differs greatly from harvesting coral in many ways. Some of the obvious differences are magnitude, depth and the type of stones. The type of stones that are of current interest are located well below the corals that is harvested for lime. Special machinery and equipment are going to be used.  Most of these equipment have not been used anywhere in the world. This seabed mining in the Bismarck Archipelago will be the first of its kind anywhere in the world where copper, gold and other minerals are going to be dug and extracted. The seabed mine will generate wealth for people around the world, not only PNG. After the minerals have been extracted, what will happen to the environment in the future? Do we know for sure what will happen? ...

Worry before, not after Worrying about environmental damage caused by mining activities now is very sad and foolish. Diligent consideration should be done in the first place.  We expect our Members of Parliament to exercise their prior best judgement in line with what the people want or oppose as well as consideration for the long term effects measured against benefits. Consultation with landowners, including parts of rivers and the sea, is very important. Sadly consultation now is lacking and opposition to undesired development is hardly taken into consideration. It is brushed aside in the name of money and development as could be glimpsed from this summary of post (posted July 18 2011)  under the caption " Mining The Deep: All About $ For the Government": The PNG Mine Watch blog posts some unfortunate news today about mining the hydrothermal vents of the PNG coast at the Solwara 1 site. Papua New Guinea’s Mining Minister, John Pundari told Nautilus chief executive ...

Opposition to experimental seabed mining should be viewed as investing in our future including our environment. We must not accept to be the guinea pig , but pass it on to more technologically advanced countries and we learn from them. Why should technologically advanced countries choose a country that is least in technological developments by its own citizens and institutions? It is not morally proper and lacks moral conscience. China and India are two of the leading countries in knowledge and technology on seabed mining and have been major participants in international conferences. The experiments should be carried out in their waters, not in Papua New Guinea. Nautilus is a Canadian company and therefore must carry out this seabed mining experiment in its own waters. Experimental Seabed Mining must be carried out in the waters of the technologically advanced countries and countries like Papua New Guinea then can learn from this and prepare to go into seabed mining in the future. ...

Coral Beach with mangroves at Oyveioa Village Trobriand Is. Photo by I.Isikel

Opposition to Experimental Seabed Mining continues in Papua New Guinea. I am sharing the views against experimental seabed mining by my fellow country men and women including two parliamentarians. Opposition to Experimental Seabed Mining from various groups and communities in Papua New Guinea continue unabated. Recently (The National 13th June 2014. p.33) groups of people from Oro and Sumkar put out an advertisement rejecting Experimental Seabed Mining in Papua New Guinea. This was endorsed by their members of parliament Ken Fairweather (Member for Sumkar-Karkar) and Gary Juffa (Governor for Oro). The text of their opposition is reproduced hereon. People of Oro and Sumkar reject Experimental Seabed Mining Experimental seabed mining is environmentally and socially irresponsible, economically unjustified and probably illegal. Experimental seabed mining cannot be allowed in Papua New Guinea. The people of Oro Province and the Sumkar electorate support the people of Papua New G...

CURRENTS AND TIDES AND SEABED MINING Seabed mining may be more harmful than mining on land. This is because, in my view, the currents constantly move and any disturbance or spillage immediately spread, and may spread over a wide area. Let me tell you a a short real life story to illustrate my view and the power of currents in moving objects over long distances. During the 1994  twin volcanic eruptions in Rabaul (ENB, Papua New Guinea) i escaped with my family from Rakotop village to my late grandfather's neighboring village Lungalunga. We took refuge there for months. We observed a lot of pumice floating by daily and many were washed ashore. Household items such as utensils and clothes floated by or were washed ashore together with the pumice. The currents carried these all the way from Rabaul town and neighboring areas to the North Coast. Unlike used  or spilled oil from marine and other industrial engines, the pumice and most other household items do not pose any threa...