Published date: 5-Aug-2022
The Solomon Island Government will be very careful in handling the issue of deep-sea mining in the country, Mines minister Tovosia says. The Ministry of Mines, Energy and Rural Electrification will be guided by the following international obligations and duties when comes to deep sea mining.
These include:
- To protect and prevention of the marine environment and rare fragile ecosystem and habitants
- The prevention reducing the controlling of pollutions from deep sea mining, activities and costs of ships by dumping wastes and other matters at sea
- The prevention of transboundary harm
- The convention of biodiversity
- Applying of precursory approach
- Employing best environmental practice
- Conduction a prior environmental impact assessment of activities likely to cause significant harm
- Taking measures for ensuring safety at sea and
- Non-interference with the rights and freedom of other states such of freedom of navigation and freedom to install submarine pipelines and cables and conduct marine scientific research
Minister Bradley Tovosia told Parliament on Tuesday the ministry will ensure that the legal and regulatory framework appropriately address due diligence, licensing, inspection and registration of the sea bed exploration and mining operations and the gathering and retention of the geo science tech.