Source: Radio Australia

Source: Radio Australia

The Australian government has opened new midwifery training facilities in Papua New Guinea's capital Port Moresby to boost the number of qualified midwives.

Australia's Minister for Foreign Affairs Julie Bishop announced the $7.5 million Kina funding to help train 500 more midwives by next year.

Dr Nancy Buasi, head of the PNG Midwifery Society, says a lack of resources means that number will be hard to achieve.

But Dr Buasi says the funding will be very important for the training of midwifery.

Source: PNG Mine Watch

Collecting more information about the marine environment is a “critical need” if people are to make informed decisions about seabed mining, said the Director General of the South Pacific Regional Environment Program

Source: Cook Islands News

Alison Swaddling, an Environment Advisor with Deep Sea Minerals (DSM) Project, made a presentation on environmental considerations at this week’s workshop being held at the Rarotongan Beach Resort and Spa. 14051321

Attendees at this week’s deep sea minerals workshop heard about the environmental issues of mining on the seabed floor.

Source: PNG Loop

Chan seems to have had a change of heart since he was Prime Minister

Customary landowners will be in control of minerals found on their land under law changes proposed by Governor of New Ireland and former Prime Minister Sir Julius Chan.

They will also be able to have much more direct interest in development of natural resources under the plan presented to the government today.

Source: The Post Courier

A FIVE-DAY workshop is being held in Cook Islands this week which aims to help Pacific island countries better understand deep sea mining.

According to the Secretariat of the Pacific Community (SPC), which is holding this regional workshop, deep sea minerals could greatly improve the economies and livelihoods of the Pacific Islands countries if the funds from this mines are used and managed wisely.

Source: Ariana Kaknivious in Canadian Geographic

The 310,000-kilogram Bulk Cutter is one of the heavy seafloor production tools. (Photo: Nautilus Minerals)

A Canadian mining company has been approved to start extracting ores of copper, gold and other valuable metals on the Pacific sea floor.

Fishing boats on the water at the Chatham Island, source of pic: Herald on Sunday

Source: THe New Zealand Herald 

Opponents to seabed mining are preparing for their second battle this year, with the lodging of a marine consent application for a phosphate nodule mining project on the Chatham Rise off the Canterbury coast.

Source: The National

FOREST Minister Douglas Tomuriesa has assured Parliament that he will not renew any permits or agreements for logging companies that do not comply with the country’s laws.

He said that yesterday in response to Manus MP Ronny Knight’s concerns of a foreign logging company operating in the West Coast of his district.

“Logging has again been done in the Nyada-Lessau area of Manus by a company called Super Green,” Knight told the House.

Source: Nick Duffy for Bermuda Sun

Will Bermuda make it rich on the back of Papua New Guinea's experiment with seabed mining - or will it 'be ground zero for an unprecedented marine catastrophe'?

While many were Americans, the Gold Rush also attracted tens of thousands from Asia, Europe, Australia and Latin America. *MCT photo