Great Post.
Seabed Mining – A Strategic Imperative, Not an Environmental Catastrophe
Myra Williamson paints seabed mining as a looming environmental disaster, urging New Zealand to follow a precautionary path. While her concerns about ecological impacts and Indigenous rights deserve respect, the article underplays the broader context: seabed mining is not merely a matter of environmental ethics—it’s a geopolitical, economic, and technological necessity that New Zealand cannot afford to ignore
1. Strategic Resource Security in the Clean Energy Transition
Seabed mining isn’t about “short-term extraction interests,” as suggested—it’s about long-term survival in a world shifting toward electrification. The critical minerals found in polymetallic nodules—such as nickel, cobalt, manganese, vanadium, and rare earths—are essential to batteries, wind turbines, solar panels, and other green technologies.
New Zealand relies heavily on imports for these minerals. Refusing to explore domestic or Pacific-based sources exposes the country to geopolitical risks, price volatility, and dependence on regimes with questionable labor and environmental practices, like the Democratic Republic of Congo or China. Is it more ethical to allow child labor and rainforest destruction abroad while taking the moral high ground at home?
2. Technological Innovation Makes It Safer Than Ever
The comparison to a 50-year-old U.S. experiment ignores how far seabed mining technology has advanced. Remote-operated vehicles, real-time environmental monitoring, and precision dredging techniques allow for more targeted, less invasive operations than anything imagined half a century ago.
The industry is not asking for a free pass. Most companies welcome regulation, as long as it is clear, stable, and based on modern science rather than ideological posturing. The choice is not between chaos and prohibition, but between smart governance and international irrelevance.
3. Economic Sovereignty and Regional Opportunity
Fast-tracking projects like Trans-Tasman Resources and McCallum Brothers is not about environmental deregulation. It’s about cutting red tape in a country where endless legal battles often paralyze progress. New Zealand must decide whether to be a consumer of foreign-mined resources or a producer with sovereign control over its assets.
Done responsibly, seabed mining could inject billions into the regional economy, support high-wage engineering jobs, and foster innovation in marine technology. This is especially valuable for Northland and Taranaki regions often overlooked in New Zealand’s urban-centric growth model.
4. Indigenous Rights and Environmental Protection Are Not Mutually Exclusive
The article implies that Treaty principles and seabed mining are irreconcilable. But Māori groups are not a monolith. Some iwi have expressed interest in co-developing marine resources or receiving royalties and oversight powers. Environmental stewardship and cultural values can be embedded in mining permits, monitoring regimes, and profit-sharing models.
If anything, excluding Māori from future resource management because of blanket bans would diminish tino rangatiratanga (self-determination), not enhance it.
5. Global Influence Requires Engagement, Not Abstention
Finally, the notion that New Zealand can “set a precedent” by banning seabed mining is well-intentioned but naïve. China, Russia, and the U.S. will not wait for international consensus. By opting out of seabed mining entirely, New Zealand surrenders influence over how it is done. Staying involved gives us a seat at the table to shape ethical, science-based standards—not just for ourselves, but for the Pacific.
Conclusion: Don’t Let Idealism Undermine Sovereignty and Sustainability
The environmental risks of seabed mining are real, but they are manageable. The climate, economic, and geopolitical stakes of not mining are arguably far greater. New Zealand should pursue a balanced path: tightly regulated, environmentally responsible seabed mining that includes Māori partnership, community oversight, and long-term investment in marine research.
Prohibition may feel principled, but in practice, it risks being both impractical and self-defeating.
New Zealand should lead on ocean protection—but that starts with targeting the real culprits: plastic waste, overfishing, oil spills, and unregulated industrial runoff.Seabed mining, done responsibly, is not the enemy—it’s a strategic necessity.
Let’s not pretend banning it will save the oceans. But regulating it wisely, while addressing the plastic crisis head-on, just might.
