As a crucial deadline looms for a new frontier of mining in the deep Pacific Ocean, Pacific Islanders are worried the controversial practice could go ahead before proper regulations are in place.
The International Seabed Authority (ISA) will begin accepting applications for industrial-scale deep-sea mining in Pacific waters in July.
Cook Island resident Alanna Smith said any damage to ocean ecosystems would be devastating for her country, where the sea is central to life.
"I've always admired watching my aunties out on the reefs, getting seafood to bring home, so it's provided for us," she said.
Smith now works for an environmental NGO called Te Ipukarea Society, which advocates for protecting the ocean.
She said it was too early to consider deep-sea mining in the area.
"[It] is very concerning given there's still a lot of data and research that has to be collected," Smith said.
Deep-sea mining uses heavy machinery to harvest rock nodules from the ocean floor that contain cobalt, manganese, and other rare metal used in batteries.
It has never been done successfully on a commercial scale, but a new wave of interest in the materials, motivated by the expansion of renewable technologies, has been criticised by Pacific leaders who want bans, or stronger regulations put in place, until more is known about the environmental risks.
"We're only really just scraping the surface of what damage is going to be caused," Smith said.