A charity founded by a deep sea mining company in the Cook Islands has paid for and published a children’s book about a mermaid who saves an outer space visitor by gifting the visitor with polymetallic nodules taken from the ocean.
The Cook Islands is three and a half years into the five-year “exploration phase”, where three companies including CIC Ocean Research are investigating the mining of polymetallic nodules: potato-shaped rocks on the seabed that are filled with metals used in electronics. The rocks have been forming for millions of years and it is not understood what role they play in the ocean ecosystem. But a battle has raged over whether to mine them.
As the community weighs the environmental and economic impacts, companies have been sponsoring community initiatives and hosting meetings according to an article in New Zealand Publication RNZ. Another company, Moana Minerals conducted a series of community consultations in the outer islands in June and sponsored the Women In Science Expedition, promoting marine research for Pacific women.
In the book, Rere, a girl from space, saved Merio, the Polynesian mermaid, who was stuck in an abandoned fishing net. Rere’s rocket ship had crashed and she was unable to go home. In an attempt to lift Rere’s spirits, Merio looks for a gift in the ocean, settling on the polymetallic nodules that power her new friend’s ship to get home.
“Everything in that [story] is true – there are magical rocks under the sea, they do have amazing capabilities, they will make some people happy,” said the book’s author, Joyana Finch. Finch said she had editorial control but needed the book signed off by the charity.
The publishing of the book was paid for by a charity set up by the founders of deep-sea mining company CIC Ocean Research. The charity had also sponsored the printing and translation of several other science books by Finch which are not related to deep-sea mining.
June Hosking, president of environmental non-governmental organization Te Ipukarea Society, said corporate sponsorship by deep sea mining companies of community projects is being used to change public perception. She said public consultation should happen through the Cook Islands Seabed Minerals Authority (SBMA) – the government agency or regulator in charge of deep-sea mining.
“Our seabed minerals authority is supposedly our government’s neutral body that should be thinking about our people and thinking about the environment and thinking about the economy and trying to balance all of that,” Hosking said. “[Companies] literally have one thing they want to do here and that’s make money. They want to mine and they want to do it as soon as possible.”
Finch said there will be a sequel to her book which will show “both ways” of what seabed mining could mean.
“It’s in the middle but it’s very polarising, both ways. There is urgency to release it, I don’t think either side will be happy, but what I want is more critical thinking, more seeking of answers.”
Finch said she was not sure if she would seek sponsorship from Te Rito o Taki Peu Tupuna for her new book.
