February 21st is the first anniversary of the presentation of a 10,000 signature petition to the Department of Lands demanding the cancellation of the SABL leases. 2018, also marks five-years since the SABL Commission of Inquiry exposed the full extent of the illegal land grab, which affects more than 10% of the whole country.

Pepetua Marangona, Tavolo village, Pomio

Source: Scott Waide, My Land, My Country

Tavolo village in Pomio, East New Britain, is a place not many in Waigani know about.

Source: Scott Waide, My Land, My Country

The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, right, meets PM Peter O'Neill Source: OHCHR

UN High Commissioner highlights key issues including corruption, the SABL land grab and human rights abuses in the extractive industries. Read his full statement here.

SOURCE : Stefan Armbruster, SBS

By Lester Seri - Collingwood Bay landowner and Environment Advocate

Our Minister for Mining has made known his support for experimental seabed mining, but he has not given any rational justification for his endorsement of Nautilus Minerals and Solwara 1, especially when there is so much uncertainty and questions being asked about Papua New Guinea being used as a guinea pig. 

A PNG potato farmer. Source: EMTEK Multi-Media

Source: Sarah Byrne, Business Advantage PNG

With the focus on major resources projects, Papua New Guinea is missing the opportunity to develop a thriving agri-tourism sector, Papua New Guinea Women in Agricultural Development Foundation (PNGWiADF) President, Maria Linibi tells Business Advantage PNG.

Rainforest for palm oil land clearance ... new PNG land plan "a licence for banks and others to progressively expropriate traditional lands in the name of "development"

OPINION: By Chris Overland* 

Image: Alliance of Solwara Warriors

Source: Caritas Papua New Guinea

Deep sea bed mining is the extraction of metals such as iron, manganese, copper, zinc, lead nickel, cadmium, silver, platinum gold and rare earths from the sea floor.

The government has yet to cancel all the illegal SABL leases, used to defraud communities of more than 5 million hectares of land but they are already pressing ahead with plans for another land grab; this time with the commercial banks as the beneficiaries.

Source: Joanita Nonwo, EMTV

The interests in mining the deep seas for its riches date as far as the 1960’s with research vessels discovering hydrothermal vents that spew out rich minerals from the earth’s crust. These vents are very rare, being found only where there are active volcanic and tectonic movements under the sea.