Submission Guide: Ban seabed mining

Submissions on the inquiry close at 11.59pm on Friday 23rd June 2023

Some points you could make:

There is a lack of scientific evidence that seabed mining can be conducted without damaging the marine environment.
In 2021 the Supreme Court took into account tīkanga Māori in its ruling against Trans-Tasman Resources Ltd, who want to mine ironsands off the Taranaki Coast. This historic ruling was the result of successful opposition from mana whenua, including Te Rūnanga o Ngāti Ruanui, Te Kāhui o Rauru, Kiwis Against Seabed Mining, Greenpeace and other environmental and fishing groups. The next logical step in protecting our precious and vulnerable marine environment from exploitation by multi-national mining companies is to ban seabed mining in Aotearoa's waters.
Local communities recognise that our existence is intertwined with the ocean - it is the lifeblood of the planet.
Not only is sea life suffering from the impacts of climate change, but destructive practices such as seabed mining could cause underwater ecosystems to collapse.
There is a growing movement in the Pacific to stop seabed mining in international waters, with Palau, Fiji, Samoa, Federated States of Micronesia, France, Portugal and Chile all standing against deep sea mining.