The new Mining Bill 2025 confirmed my assertion that there was no law on Deep sea Mining or Offshore Mining in PNG

In August 2024, CELCOR, Caritas PNG and West Coast Development Foundation held a Press Conference at 5Mile, Catholic Church's Conference Room, I made a statement regarding the Solwara1 Project where a new Mining company, Deep Sea Mining Finance (DSMF) had its vessel named Coco on the waters of New Ireland extracting ores from the bottom of the sea.

A PBS news did an investigation on that company's operation. PBS contacted MRA and PMs department if they were aware of the presence of DSMF's presence and activities in the waters of New Ireland, both authorities denied knowledge of what was going on.

As a concern group under the Alliance of Solwara Warriors, we organised and held the Press Conference in August 2024.

In one of a number of remarks I made to the media, Post Courier quoted my assertion of "No Law on Deep Sea Mining". The MRA and some legal Counsels argued that the existing Mining Act 1992 had a provision that caters for Offshore or Deep Sea Mining.

Since they did not talk to me directly, I had to qualify my assertion by presenting my justification on CELCOR's Facebook page and LinkedIn. Since then I had no responses from anyone concerned, however, in February this year, there was a twist of event-the Department of Minerals Policy and Geohazard has drafted a Mining Bill 2025 launched it in February and requested for public review.

Team CELCOR grabbed a copy to review it. Upon reading the content page of the bill, we came across a Section that reads 'Offshore Mining'. This particular Section was never in the existing Mining Act 1992.

The inclusion of Offshore Mining component in the new Mining Bill 2025 confirmed my assertion that there was no specific law that governs the conduct and management of Mining or extraction activities relating to mineral deposits beneath the waters of Papua New Guinea.

CELCOR made its submission to the new Mining Bill in April and we are awaiting the final draft of the Bill to see how our recommendations have be captured . The cover page of our submission is shared below.