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Kimberly Bernard
SYDNEY (Greenpeace) – At the southernmost tip of the planet sits Australia and 15 Pacific Island nations – internationally recognised and globally loved for their laid-back lifestyles, clear waters and abundant marine life.
The waters of the South Pacific hold tens of thousands of years of history and cultural heritage for Aboriginal and Pacific Islander peoples, who have a deep connection to the ocean. It is also home to what David Attenborough calls “the most amazing place on Earth” – the Great Barrier Reef off the coast of Australia.
But without protection, these life-giving oceans are under threat. Australia has an important role to play in marine conservation, as our precious marine landscapes could be destroyed by destructive deep-sea mining.
Here are five things you should know about the South Pacific’s fight to keep deep-sea mining off limits.
1. The ocean is central to our way of life
Australia has a total population of 26 million, of which more than 22 million live within 50 kilometres of the coastline. Our coastal areas are thriving.
The ocean is of great cultural significance to Indigenous peoples in Australia and Pacific Island communities, whose lives and identities are intrinsically linked to the ocean and the life it supports. If deep-sea mining goes ahead, Pacific leaders are concerned that fish stocks could be irreversibly damaged, affecting a vital food source for millions of people.
2. Two Australian jurisdictions have banned offshore mining
Two jurisdictions have implemented coastal seabed mining bans. In 2021, the Northern Territory government permanently banned seabed mining across the territory, following a three-year ban in the territory’s coastal waters. Last year, the New South Wales government banned offshore oil and gas exploration and mining in the territory after ocean enthusiasts came together in a massive popular effort to stop the polluting industry.
3. The metal company was led by Australian businessman Gerard Barron
The main player pushing for deep-sea mining licenses in the Pacific is the Metallurgical Corporation (TMC), which was also the target of a recent 200-hour offshore protest by Greenpeace International.
TMC’s CEO is Australian businessman Gerard Barron. He’s reportedly in legal trouble in the UK as a director of Winward, a company that went into bankruptcy in 2018 and appears to have poured millions of dollars into Barron’s other ventures. Meanwhile, TMC is facing multiple legal challenges for alleged financial mismanagement, including misleading investors and other investigations. Sounds like the perfect guy to exploit marine resources for profit, right?
4. Australia’s former prime minister has hidden links to mining and weapons
It has been revealed that Australia’s notorious former Prime Minister Scott Morrison (the man who flaunted a lump of coal in Parliament, went on tropical vacations while Australia was on fire, and appointed himself a secret minister) and former US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo are promoting deep sea mining for the international arms trade.
Morrison was ousted as prime minister of Australia’s conservative Liberal Party in 2022. He has since moved on to join the Seabed Minerals Fund – which Greenpeace Australia Pacific has called a “front for war-crazed investors who want to fuel the weapons industry”.
5. The Australian government has not yet supported a moratorium
Despite mounting pressure, Australia’s new Labor government and its Prime Minister Anthony Albanese have yet to sign up to a ban on deep-sea mining. Twenty-five countries around the world support a global ban, including Australia’s neighbours New Zealand, Vanuatu, Tuvalu and Papua New Guinea.
Australia must support a global ban. As an island nation, Australia stands to lose a lot without a ban. Make your voice heard – tell the Australian government to stop deep sea mining… PACNEWS
Kimberley Bernard is a communications specialist at Greenpeace Australia Pacific
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