Minerals Report - International Seabed Authority

Minerals Report - International Seabed Authority Minerals Report - International Seabed Authority

05.02.2013 Views

Since 1972, SOPAC has, on behalf of its member countries, collected and processed large volumes of data and information acquired during MSR cruises in the region, which it stores and maintains in a cruise database. Issues persisting include the non-compliance of some researching organisations to meet their post-cruise obligations or the use of incompatible formats of data being submitted to SOPAC, following completion of a cruise. These issues continue to be addressed at SOPAC Annual Sessions 4 through continually reinforcing the importance of MSR co-ordination for the region to representatives of international research organisations and SOPAC member countries. In addition, by re-stating the MSR obligations on the researching State to researchers and communicating SOPAC’s requirements regarding data formats. 3.1 Marine Scientific Research Cooperation Since its inception, SOPAC has consistently championed the promotion and co-ordination of MSR of non-living resources in the Pacific region. These efforts have led to numerous long-term co-operative offshore mineral programmes in the SOPAC region, by various research institutions from Australia, Canada, European Union, France, Germany, Japan, Korea, New Zealand, the former Soviet Union, the United Kingdom and the United States of America, with co-ordination being provided by SOPAC. These research programmes have provided PICs with invaluable data and resulting information, which have identified offshore resources from which an economic benefit will accrue in the event of their development. The target mineral resources that remain the focus of research include manganese nodules, cobalt-rich crusts and polymetallic massive sulphides [PMS]. A sample of these co-operative research programmes, which identify the participating research States, the Exclusive Economic Zones [EEZ] in which research has been conducted and the types of mineral resources that have been targeted for study, are included in Table 1. 4 SOPAC Annual Sessions provide an opportunity for international researchers [SOPAC’s Technical Advisory Group] and SOPAC member country representatives to review, discuss and agree the SOPAC work programme. INTERNATIONAL SEABED AUTHORITY 886

Table 1: Co-operative deepsea mineral research programmes conducted in the SOPAC region . Researching State France CCOP/SOPAC Research Programme Duration EEZ Area EVA 1977-1987 Fiji, New Caledonia, Solomon Is, Tonga, Vanuatu Germany ICIME 1978 Cook Is, Fiji, French Polynesia, Tonga USA CCOP/SOPAC Machias 1978-1981 Cook Is, Fiji, French Polynesia, PNG, Samoa, Solomon Is, Tonga, Tuvalu, Vanuatu USSR Various 1978-1990 Cook Is, Fiji, Kiribati,PNG, Samoa, Solomon Is, Tonga, Vanuatu Germany MIDPac 1981-1989 Cook Is, Fiji, French Polynesia, Kiribati, Marshall Is, New Caledonia, Solomon Is, Tuvalu, Tonga USA CCOP/SOPAC Tripartite I 1982-1984 Fiji, PNG, Samoa, Solomon Is. Tonga, Tuvalu, Vanuatu Target Mineral Resource PMS Mn Nodules Hydrocarbons Mn Nodules Precious Corals Mn Nodules PMS PMS Cobalt-rich crust Mn Nodules Hydrocarbon PMS Japan/SOPAC Natsushima 1983-1984 Fiji, PNG PMS USA Tripartite II 1984-1986 Cook Is, Fiji, FSM, Various CCOP/SOPAC Kiribati, PNG, Samoa, Solomon Is, Tonga, Tuvalu, Vanuatu Australia SeaMap 1985-1989 Australia, Fiji, New SOPAC Zealand, Samoa, Tonga, Vanuatu INTERNATIONAL SEABED AUTHORITY 887

Table 1: Co-operative deepsea mineral research programmes conducted in the SOPAC<br />

region .<br />

Researching<br />

State<br />

France<br />

CCOP/SOPAC<br />

Research<br />

Programme<br />

Duration EEZ Area<br />

EVA 1977-1987 Fiji, New<br />

Caledonia,<br />

Solomon Is, Tonga,<br />

Vanuatu<br />

Germany ICIME 1978 Cook Is, Fiji, French<br />

Polynesia, Tonga<br />

USA<br />

CCOP/SOPAC<br />

Machias 1978-1981 Cook Is, Fiji, French<br />

Polynesia, PNG,<br />

Samoa, Solomon Is,<br />

Tonga, Tuvalu,<br />

Vanuatu<br />

USSR Various 1978-1990 Cook Is, Fiji,<br />

Kiribati,PNG,<br />

Samoa, Solomon Is,<br />

Tonga, Vanuatu<br />

Germany MIDPac 1981-1989 Cook Is, Fiji, French<br />

Polynesia, Kiribati,<br />

Marshall Is, New<br />

Caledonia,<br />

Solomon Is,<br />

Tuvalu,<br />

Tonga<br />

USA<br />

CCOP/SOPAC<br />

Tripartite I 1982-1984 Fiji, PNG, Samoa,<br />

Solomon Is. Tonga,<br />

Tuvalu, Vanuatu<br />

Target<br />

Mineral<br />

Resource<br />

PMS<br />

Mn Nodules<br />

Hydrocarbons<br />

Mn Nodules<br />

Precious Corals<br />

Mn Nodules<br />

PMS<br />

PMS<br />

Cobalt-rich crust<br />

Mn Nodules<br />

Hydrocarbon<br />

PMS<br />

Japan/SOPAC Natsushima 1983-1984 Fiji, PNG PMS<br />

USA<br />

Tripartite II 1984-1986 Cook Is, Fiji, FSM, Various<br />

CCOP/SOPAC<br />

Kiribati, PNG,<br />

Samoa, Solomon Is,<br />

Tonga, Tuvalu,<br />

Vanuatu<br />

Australia SeaMap 1985-1989 Australia, Fiji, New<br />

SOPAC<br />

Zealand, Samoa,<br />

Tonga, Vanuatu<br />

INTERNATIONAL SEABED AUTHORITY 887

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