Mineral Resources Minister Filimoni Vosarogo. [Photo: FILE]
Fiji says it will continue taking a precautionary approach on deep-sea mining, with the government insisting more scientific evidence is needed before any mining activities are considered in the country’s waters.
The comments were made by Mineral Resources Minister Filimoni Vosarogo on the margins of the Pacific Small Island Developing States Regional Consultation on the Deep Seabed Sustainable Blue Growth Initiative currently underway in Suva.
The regional forum has brought together Pacific leaders and International Seabed Authority Secretary-General Leticia Carvalho to discuss ocean governance and the future of deep seabed resources in the Pacific.
Vosarogo says Fiji already has the International Seabed Minerals Management Act of 2013, but the law remains inactive because international regulations governing deep-sea mining are still being finalised.
He says Fiji does not want to move ahead of international processes being developed through the International Seabed Authority.
“Because Fiji is so close to ISA, we don’t want our domestic law to run in advance of the international instrument that guides it. So post the mining code and the regulations being passed at the Council level, then we will look at operationalising the law in Fiji.”
Vosarogo says Fiji’s position remains focused on science and environmental protection before any major decisions are made on deep-sea mining.
