[Photo: File]
The Fiji Council of Social Services is calling for a legally binding moratorium on deep-sea mining. The organization warns that Fiji’s laws still allow seabed exploration activities.
Making submissions before the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Justice, Law and Human Rights, FCOSS Program Manager Josaia Tokoni said there was a gap between Fiji’s international position and its domestic laws.
Tokoni said Fiji has backed calls for a moratorium on deep-sea mining at the international level.
However, he said those commitments have not been reflected in national legislation.
He told the committee that the Mining Act still allows seabed exploration licenses and this creates the possibility for future mining activities.
FCOSS says coastal communities, customary fishing grounds and marine ecosystems remain at risk without stronger legal protection.
The organization is calling for amendments to both the Customary Marine Areas Bill and the Mining Act.
Tokoni said environmental protection and community rights must remain at the center of decisions involving Fiji’s marine resources.
