Moana Minerals chief executive Hans Smit says the company is taking its deep-sea mining message to the Pa Enua this week in a bid to win over public opinion – ‘not with spin, but with facts’.

Smit told Cook Islands News the community engagement tour is about meeting people face to face, clearing up misinformation, and helping Cook Islanders make up their own minds based on evidence, not fear.

“What I’m trying to achieve is not to convince somebody to be supportive,” Smit said.

“What I’m trying to do is get people to be such that they will evaluate the information at the time with an open mind.”

Each island visit will involve meetings with the Island Council and traditional leaders, followed by afternoon sessions with local stakeholders in Mangaia, Mauke, Mitiaro and Atiu.

The day will wrap up with an open community event for residents to meet the team and raise any concerns or questions.

The deep sea mining (DSM) company holds an exploration licence in Cook Islands waters and has already completed extensive mapping and biological studies on the seafloor.

But while the company has faced opposition from some corners of the community, Smit believes that resistance often comes from not knowing the full picture.

“When I engage with people, there are a lot of people that are resistant to the idea of DSM,” he said.

“But what I find is a lot of them are resistant because they are not aware of the process and the mechanisms that we have to follow before we get permission to do it. And they’re also not aware of the kind of work and the research that we are doing in order to get there.”

Smit said the tour of the Pa Enua is about ensuring that outer island communities – not just those on Rarotonga – are fully informed and have their voices heard.

“It’s important that we go down and see those islands, see how the people live there, see what their communities are like, and to get to meet them,” he said.

“So for us, it’s understanding the dynamics of the Cook Islands. Because if we don’t physically visit, physically attend, then how can we say we are understanding of the Cook Island culture as a whole?”

Smit insisted that Moana Minerals is not in the Cook Islands to exploit or damage its environment, but to work with the country to unlock a resource that could dramatically shape its future.

“I think Cook Islanders have this incredible resource. I think it is an important one for them to use in order to become financially self-sufficient,” he said.

“But at the same token, you need to do it in a manner that you do not do harm and that you do it to the benefit of all.

 “When you get to know me and my team, you will realise that we are not people who want to go out and destroy anything.

“We are not here to take advantage. We are here to set up something that will be to the benefit of all parties involved.”

Smit likened the approach to farming, saying the goal is to use the seabed in a way that supports long-term sustainability.

“Like when you’re a farmer, you use your land to the best of your ability to ensure that for a long period of time you are able to feed yourself and your family. That’s how we view this opportunity.”

Smit said all of the environmental data Moana Minerals has collected is already available to the public – but acknowledged many Cook Islanders don’t know where to find it.

“Everything we’ve collected has already been shared with the Cook Islanders. It’s available to all Cook Islanders,” he said.

“I think the problem is that we don’t know where to find it. And… if they’re not sure where to find it, ask the question and we’ll point them to where it is.”

He said the company has completed its seafloor mapping and is about halfway through environmental data collection. Full environmental reports are expected to be compiled after another 12 to 18 months of monitoring.

Smit didn’t shy away from controversy around the use of the word “harvesting” to describe the removal of polymetallic nodules from the seafloor.

He said the term is technically inaccurate – and he prefers to call it what it is.

“Will the nodules grow back? Yes, they will, but it’s going to take millions of years. So is it harvesting where you can go every year and do it? No,” he said.

“It is the mining of an ore and you’re taking it away. That is my preference because that’s what this is.”

But ultimately, he said the terminology debate is missing the point.

“What I want to do is talk about the things that really matter – that we can do this in a manner that the Cook Islanders can benefit without it being detrimental to the environment and the people and the community.”

Smit said he understands the community’s fears – but urged people to weigh up the long-term potential of seabed minerals to transform the country.

“This is a resource that for the Cook Islands for the next 50 to 100 years can support the Cook Islands community, and can have a dramatic impact on the challenges we have here,” he said.

“We all complain about the road when we drive around the island. We won’t have those issues because the money to fix the roads will be there, etc.”

He said Moana Minerals is committed to transparency, environmental responsibility, and working with Cook Islanders every step of the way.

“But we need to do it together and we need to do it transparently and we need to do it in a manner that it’s not going to have an adverse price to pay.” That, Smit said, is the message he wants to bring directly to the people of the Pa Enua next week: “Let the facts speak for themselves.”