Fiji reinforced its support for a moratorium on deep sea mining, joining other states at the UN Ocean Conference in Lisbon, Portugal with the aim of protecting our ocean.
At the launch of the Alliance of Countries for a Deep Sea Mining Moratorium, the Prime Minister said Fiji has already announced a moratorium in 2019 and has been a regional advocate on this issue, understanding the several layers of socio-economic and geo-physical impacts these activities have on our ocean floor.
Fiji, at the same time, called upon fellow forum island states to support a 10-year moratorium on seabed mining from 2020 to 2030, which would allow for a decade of proper scientific research of our economic zones and territorial waters.
Prime Minister Bainimarama added that we can lead a moratorium initiative in the United Nations General Assembly in 2022 and 2023 to ensure we gain a truly global resolution to this disastrous activity in this ocean decade.
“We call for partnerships and increased investment in ocean science, particularly in the deep sea and the nexus of the ocean with climate change, including its importance for carbon sequestration and carbon cycling, with an aim of capacity building for marine science and increasing knowledge on deep-sea processes with respect to climate change, fisheries and ocean health,” stressed Prime Minister Bainimarama.
At the event, Palau also showed its support towards the ban on deep sea mining, being one of the small island nations on the front line of the potential impacts of deep sea mining.
The side-event was co-hosted by the Deep Sea Conservation Coalition and the World Wildlife Fund (WWF).