SOPAC’s Jimmie Rodgers Prepares For Seabed Mining Push in Vanuat Dr. Jimmie Rodgers, the Director-General of the Secretariat of the Pacific Community has been busy lately defending SOPAC’s role in the controversial Experimental Seabed Mining debate currently taking place throughout the Pacific. He’s taken to going on Radio Australia defending SOPAC and he is now preparing for the Vanuatu “workshop” being billed as a Regional “Training” Workshop. One might ask training for what? And many people and groups are asking that very question. Let’s look at how Jimmie is framing the issues dealing with the seabed mining experiment. Firstly Jimmie says there is an urgent need for stakeholders and the wider community to engage in a meaningful discussion about the issues surrounding (the rapidly emerging) deep sea minerals (sector). Now Jimmie we’ve eliminate four words from your sentence. You see the issue is should we allow the miners to mine our sea FULL STOP!!!!! Your statement is perfect in defining SOPAC’s role since by adding the four words we’ve eliminated you have conveniently framed the argument that there is no debate about should or shouldn’t there be seabed mining, but have accepted and as SOPAC does strongly support the industry by saying the deep sea minerals is a sector and rapidly emerging - thus meaning we better accept it also and deal with it. Jimmie continues - now check this framing out - “What SPC wants to see is that, if those resources are harvested, they’re harvested in a sustainably and environmentally friendly manner and that they’re harvested such that current generations and future generations will benefit,” he says. He reluctantly puts in the “if resources are harvested” and then puts in the ridiculous line about the resources being “harvested” in a sustainable and environmentally “FRIENDLY” manner. Oh yes Jimmie miners are known for their friendliness to the resources they destroy - oh sorry “harvest”. You really don’t think any thinking person buys that do you Jimmie? Jimmie then throws a bone to civil society groups saying they need to play a critical role in ensuring that Pacific Island Countries and Territories address the details of any agreements they may enter into with deep sea mining companies. So see you civil society groups you are vital in addressing the details on any agreements countries may enter into with deep sea mining companies but Jimmie that comes afterwards - you’ve missed the point. The current debate is SHOULD THERE EVEN BE SEABED MINING! Jimmie then ends with this beauty of a statement,“As part of the wider consultative process there will be some people that will not believe in deep sea mineral mining until the day they die. But, rather than being kept in the dark, I think these people would be happier if they can be assured that whatever occurs is not going to destroy the environment or undermine future generations,” he says. That’s right everyone some people are never going to believe in deep sea mining til the day they die, unlike SOPAC and Jimmie. See they are NOT kept in the dark like those that question the very concept of mining the sea. He thinks we’d all be happier if we just accepted the fact its going to happen and hope the miners don’t destroy the environment or undermine future generations. Just like the miners have done/are doing and will continue to do on the land right Jimmie? They are such fine corporate citizens. You know as well as we do Jimmie its all about the money to be made - damn the environment and those yet unborn. Manager of the Pacific Deep Sea Minerals Project, Akuila Tawake, says the regional project has been specifically designed to operate as an independent adviser for Pacific Islands countries but it has limited time and resources to assist countries to build the management capacity needed for this important emerging sector. “The reality is that our Project is scheduled to end in 2014 but Pacific Island countries will still need to have the capacity to deal with this important resource management issue over the next 20 to 30 years,” he says. Oh we wouldn’t worry about the project ending in 2014 Mr. Tawake. The miners hear you plea about the next 20 to 30 years and will certainly fund SOPAC in their continuing crusade to support the mining industry.
Posted on: Sat, 08 Jun 2013 05:06:56 +0000
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