ESHS/HSS Annual Meeting

The Deep Pacific, Viewed through the Prism of Nationalism, Regionalism, and Internationalism

• In Event: Governing the Seas: Ocean Science, International Law, and the Contested Politics of the Post-War Ocean (1 of 2)

English Abstract

The Clarion Clipperton Zone (CCZ) and its exploitation under the aegis of the International Seabed Authority are often abstracted out of broader geographic context; historically, the CCZ has been construed by developing and developed states alike as a sort of non-place subjected to grid-like partitioning and sometimes fantastical speculation regarding potential mineral riches. But the CCZ is also a Pacific place sharing certain geological contiguities with the EEZs of Pacific Island countries. My paper will explore how proximity to identified resource zones, paired with incomplete knowledge of seabed resources, shaped Pacific Islander engagement with the potential risks and rewards associated with deep sea mining—from threats of transboundary pollution to potential economic development via nodule processing and other ancillary industries.

I argue that, over the years, the riches of the CCZ served as both an inspiration and a foil for the resource prospecting efforts of individual nations in the region. I also explore how seabed contiguities across national EEZs—especially in those adjoining the Cook Islands—have shaped scientific, diplomatic, and legal approaches to deep sea mining in the Pacific. Ultimately, my paper will draw on archival research and interviews across the region to examine how Pacific Islanders have engaged with overlapping national, regional, and international frameworks—and shifting landscapes of seafloor knowledge—in seeking to optimize their control over the conservation, exploitation, and commercialization of deep-sea mineral resources.

Author

• Sonya Schoenberger, Stanford