The United States and New Zealand's decision to co-fund a strategic port in the Cook Islands is being strongly criticized by Greenpeace Aotearoa, which labels the move a "gross act of colonialism" and resource grabbing linked to a US agenda for deep sea mining in the Pacific.
The announcement, made at the Pacific Islands Forum Leaders’ Meeting (PIFLM) in Palau, involves a $50 million contribution from the US and $10 million from New Zealand to construct a new port at Tongareva atoll (Penrhyn), a former US military base. US Deputy State Secretary Christopher Landau, also attending PIFLM, said the "investment" builds on the Critical Minerals Framework signed by the Cook Islands and the US earlier this year. The Penrhyn Basin is known for its high density of polymetallic nodules, which deep sea miners are keen to exploit, and the US research vessel Okeanos Explorer recently explored this basin.
Juressa Lee, spokesperson for Greenpeace Aotearoa, expressed disappointment in New Zealand's complicity, stating it is "clearly part of its bid to expedite unilateral mining permits to mine in international waters, and establish a strategic position." Lee questioned the appropriateness of using a Pacific Leaders' meeting to advance the United States' "war machine," emphasizing the need for Pacific leaders to assert sovereignty and build regional consensus.
Lee further asserted that the Trump Administration's priorities are clear, pushing for unilateral deep sea mining to fuel US interests rather than a "green transition." She highlighted the historical context of the Pacific's nuclear-free legacy and the Treaty of Rarotonga, which the US has not ratified, as evidence of dismissed Pacific values and sovereignty.
"The Pacific is not a playground for the US," Lee said, warning that deep sea mining would risk ocean health and Pacific peoples' way of life. She urged leaders to reject deep sea mining, noting the strong and growing movement against it, and called on the New Zealand government to back a global moratorium.
Full Article: Move by US to fund Cook Island port, a trojan horse to start deep sea mining