Vanuatu civil groups against seabed mining, challenge govt

CIVIL society groups in Vanuatu have called for a ban on seabed mining activities in its waters.
They held a consultation on experimental seabed mining at Port Vila last week.
The civil society groups included the Vanuatu Cultural Centre, National Council of Women, Malvatumauri National Council of Chiefs, Vanuatu Council of Churches, Vanuatu Association of Non-Governmental Organisations and Vanuatu National Council of Youth.
They passed a resolution last Thursday challenging the national government to impose a ban on seabed mining activities in Vanuatu waters.
The resolution was supported by the Media Association of Vanuatu, Vanuatu Environment Advocacy Network, Vanuatu Indigenous Land Defence Desk, Presbyterian Church of Vanuatu, Vanuatu Environmental Science Society, Vanuatu Provincial Tourism Council and Youth Challenge Vanuatu.
The resolution comes after revelation that over 145 seabed mining exploration licences were issued between 2009 and 2013 without proper procedural permission and consultation within the government of Vanuatu, let alone, the people.
A national consultation in 2014 later called for a wider consultation in Vanuatu, and non-renewal or new issue of seabed mining exploration licenses.
The coalition of CSOs through its resolution now challenges the Vanuatu government to impose a definite ban on all seabed mining activities in the country’s waters.
“We Ni-Vans, similar to other Melanesian and Pacific Islands nations have strong connection to our ocean. Rushing ahead with such an experimental project may destroy our ocean, which means destroying our home and our source of life,” Wendy Garai, vice-president of the Vanuatu National Council of Women, said.
Garai said it was important Vanuatu took a precautionary approach and impose a ban that will safeguard “our fishing industry, our local coastal communities who depend heavily on the ocean, our tourism sector and Vanuatu as a whole”.
Marie Joemermer of Youth Challenge Vanuatu said: “There is so much talk about the potential economic benefits of seabed mining, but there is still a lot of unknown and uncertainties relating to science, economic and possible impacts, and we the young people of Vanuatu support this call for a ban as it has the potential to affect our future opportunities if we are not careful.”