Hawaii bans seabed mining | RNZ News

A new bill banning seafloor mining in the state of Hawaii was signed into law by Governor Josh Green on Tuesday.

This comes after 12 members of the U.S. Congress wrote to President Joe Biden in June urging a moratorium on deep seabed mining ahead of this month’s International Seabed Authority meeting.

New legislation, Hawaii Seabed Mining Prevention Actprohibiting the extraction and removal of minerals in state waters and prohibiting the issuance of permits related to seabed mining activities.

The bill, introduced by Senator Chris Lee, complements a law passed last year that allows the state of Hawaii to deny entry to any vessel involved in seabed mining activities.

Lee said the move would protect Hawaii’s marine ecosystems for the “foreseeable future,” safeguarding more than 3,000 square miles of the Pacific Ocean.

He said it was a precautionary measure because the environmental impact of seabed mining was still unclear.

“The impacts (of seabed mineral mining) on ​​the vast ocean, species and habitats are not yet known. But we know the impacts are real and the risks are real.

“We need to do everything we can to take action to protect our natural resources, protect our oceans and ultimately protect the planet we all live on.”

Lee added that the seabed mineral industry was developing too fast and must proceed with caution.

“Right now, the discussion seems to be focused on an industry that is very keen to compete to capture parts of the market and extract the most from it, and that means exploiting marine resources in ways that we can’t properly manage, we can’t properly review, and we don’t have the science to do that.

“We’re pumping the brakes.”

Local environmental groups said the ban was a big step in the right direction.

Longtime activist Brittany Kamai A’ole (Hawaiian for “no”) Deep sea mining companies say it is a positive example for the Pacific region.

“It’s very shocking for Hawaii to see this. We don’t want ships in our waters, we don’t want this kind of industry, and we need people to understand that we are ocean people,” Kamai said.

“Keeping the ecosystem intact”

One indigenous elder said the new law is also in keeping with ancient Hawaiian chants.

Solomon Kaho’ohalahala shared the kumulipo (traditional creation song) passed down by Lili’uokalani, the last Hawaiian queen.

In traditional creation chants, even the smallest creatures of the deep sea have significant value.

The ode recognizes the importance of organisms such as coral polyps to the growth of coral reefs.

It goes on to show how all life forms are interconnected in a life cycle.

Kaho’ohalahala said this underscores how humans need to take care of ocean ecosystems.

“Our creation anthem evokes this inherent responsibility that we are deeply connected to all ecosystems and have a duty to care for it.”

“So for those of us who have the ocean as our homeland, it’s vital to ensure the integrity of that ecosystem.”

Hawaii’s ban on seafloor mining is in response to that call, he said.

Kahoo’ohalahara is now calling for similar moves in other parts of the Pacific to unite against seabed mining.

He said that while each country legally retained the right to make its own decisions, leaders needed to consider the potential impacts mining could have on neighbouring countries.

“The ocean has no boundaries. You can’t draw a line across the ocean and say what I do on one side of the line doesn’t affect the other side.”

“A country that decides to move forward has to know that it will not only affect them, it will affect all of us.”

Kamai agreed, saying the voices of indigenous peoples have great influence in decision-making areas.

She said Pacific people had a responsibility to use their voices to protect the ocean.

“We have a big responsibility right now as the voice of the ocean to be present in these spaces and have these conversations.

“What is our purpose, what do we want to do for the world and humanity?

“Let’s do this in the most loving, caring way possible, not only for each other as human beings, but for all the creatures that live in the ocean, for all the birds that fly in the sky, all of which are things that we really need to consider as we make our decisions.”