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Fiji will uphold its moratorium on deep sea mining until a comprehensive scientific assessment is available. This has been confirmed by Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka.

The government’s position remains unchanged, as Rabuka emphasized the need for science-based decision-making, drawing parallels to Fiji’s approach in assessing Japan’s release of treated nuclear wastewater from Fukushima.

Despite increasing pressure from regional civil society organizations and indigenous leaders to impose a total ban on deep sea mining (DSM), Rabuka avoided committing to such a move.

“At the moment, we do not have a comprehensive and conclusive science report to give the leaders the comfort to lift the moratorium.”

His remarks come as environmental advocates and policy experts intensify calls for Pacific nations to reject DSM entirely.

During the Pacific Civil Society Talanoa on Deep Sea Mining, campaigners urged leaders to prioritize environmental integrity and cultural preservation over extractive industries.

Independent policy consultant Lagi Toribau dismissed the concept of sustainable mining, asserting that it does not exist on land or at sea. He criticized efforts to frame DSM as a necessary component of the global green transition, arguing that this narrative does not reflect Pacific realities.

“So, my interpretation is that this issue of deep sea mining has unearthed a lot of intersections. There are a lot of nexuses, a lot of trauma, a lot of false narratives, and false projections. One chamber where this is being discussed is climate, the climate narrative“.

Toribau pointed out the need for the region to learn from past environmental and resource extraction failures, citing nuclear testing, phosphate mining in Nauru, and large-scale logging and fisheries as cautionary examples.

Opposition to DSM is also growing due to its potential impact on fisheries, an industry already facing challenges from climate change.

Pacific Islands Climate Action Network representative Refino Varea outlined concerns that rising ocean temperatures are shifting tuna migration patterns.

“And eventually, they’re going to overlap with the areas that will be demarcated for deep sea mining.”

As tuna stocks move, they risk overlapping with areas designated for deep sea mining, further complicating governance and sustainability efforts.

While Fiji remains firm on its moratorium, calls for a definitive and permanent ban on DSM continue to gain momentum across the Pacific. The debate reflects broader concerns over environmental degradation, indigenous rights, and the long-term implications of resource exploitation in the region.

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