Rima Browne News Today

“You cannot manage what you cannot measure,” said Prime Minister Mark Brown at the Ocean Decade Conference held in Barcelona, Spain, last month.

The International Visitors Leaders Programme (IVLP) funded by the U.S State Department nominated 10 representatives from the Pacific who work within the ‘Blue Economy’ to participate in a three-week long knowledge exchange programme in the United States.

Last month marked two years since the country’s first seabed minerals exploration licences were issued on 23 February 2022. A major milestone and achievement for the Cook Islands after many years of preparation.

The International Seabed Authority (ISA) has the dual mandate of regulating mining of the seabed and also protecting that same seabed in areas beyond national jurisdiction (also known as international waters, high seas, or simply the area).

Cook Islands Seabed Mineral Authority (SBMA) senior knowledge management officer Rima Browne is this year’s recipient of the International Seabed Authority Secretary General’s award for excellence in deep-sea research.

Seabed Minerals Authority senior technical officer Rima Browne has led the creation of a new seabed map – the first of its kind for the Cook Islands.

Here’s what I’ve learned being up close and personal with the debate.