By Lester Seri - Collingwood Bay landowner and Environment Advocate

Our Minister for Mining has made known his support for experimental seabed mining, but he has not given any rational justification for his endorsement of Nautilus Minerals and Solwara 1, especially when there is so much uncertainty and questions being asked about Papua New Guinea being used as a guinea pig. 

Image: Alliance of Solwara Warriors

Source: Caritas Papua New Guinea

Deep sea bed mining is the extraction of metals such as iron, manganese, copper, zinc, lead nickel, cadmium, silver, platinum gold and rare earths from the sea floor.

Source: Joanita Nonwo, EMTV

The interests in mining the deep seas for its riches date as far as the 1960’s with research vessels discovering hydrothermal vents that spew out rich minerals from the earth’s crust. These vents are very rare, being found only where there are active volcanic and tectonic movements under the sea. 

“That is where life began, and that we should be destroying these things [hydrothermal vents] is so deeply tragic” Sir David Attenborough

Source: David Shukman, BBC News

The Silverbacks rugby sevens team has been presented with training tops and t-shirts bearing the ACT NOW! name and logo in recognition of their successful run through several Port Moresby tournaments.

The team will be wearing the tops at training and in their pre-game warm ups to promote ACT NOW! and it campaigns to the rugby crazy community in the Nation’s capital.

Source: PNGBLOGS

Source: Papua New Guinea Mine Watch

Peter Neill – Director, World Ocean Observatory | Huffington Post | July 11, 2017 

Source: Papua New Guinea Mine Watch

Opposition to seabed mining in the archipelagic Philippine province of Romblon ... led by local anti-groups such as REFAM ... Image: Rachel Llorca/UST

Rachel E. Llorca | Asia Pacific Report | June 7, 2017  

Fishermen from the archipelagic province of Romblon in the Philippines are opposed to planned' experimental' sea mining ventures in the area amid fears it will destroy their livelihoods.

As much as half of the whole of Papua New Guinea could be impacted by potentially destructive experimental seabed mining operations.

Source: PNG Mine Watch

Over one million people have signed a global petition opposing Nautilus Minerals’ plans for experimental seabed mining in Papua New Guinea and the number is still rising.