SOURCE : Stuff (Nouvelle-Zélande) (10-02-11)
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A dispute on New Zealand’s northern maritime boundary between Tonga and Fiji that involved gunboats chasing yachties is linked to fierce but covert interest in undersea minerals and spiking copper prices.
That’s the view of IHS Global Insight, a London based strategic analyst firm who yesterday alerted clients to the dispute over the Minerva Reefs, 1500 kilometres north of Auckland.
They were claimed by Tonga in 1972 after the shadowy US Phoenix Foundation shipped in dirt and declared it a republic.
King Taufa’ahau Tupou IV loaded a ferry with soldiers, a convict work detail and a four-piece brass band and sailed the 500 kilometres to personally haul down the “Republic of Minerva” flag.
“(Scientific) expeditions have shown that the waters between Fiji, Tonga and New Zealand are among the most potentially lucrative in the world for relatively easily accessible minerals, particularly gold and silver,” IHS says.
IHS says the Minerva question “is likely to remain an irritant in the otherwise good relationship between Fiji and Tonga, although there is the potential for it to become more significant if the question of the two countries’ maritime borders becomes economically significant.”
New Zealand is involved in the scramble for undersea minerals in the area dominated by the Kermadec Ridge.
Wellington continental shelf claims could intersect with Minerva and diplomatic sources point out that New Zealand has never formally recognised Tonga’s claim.
This raises the odd prospect that Wellington will find itself backing military strongman Voreqe Bainimarama’s claim that the reefs are Fiji territory.
South Korean, Chinese and Australian interests are seeking prospecting rights in the region.
Fiji’s Deputy Permanent Secretary of Foreign Affairs Sila Balawa this week confirmed they had written to Tonga about two structures on the reef.
They told the Tongans they were building the structures on Fiji’s territory.
The letter stated that “Fiji reserves the right – to take any appropriate necessary action – to protect the integrity of its territory” – with regards to the construction of the structures on the reef, namely a lighthouse.
Fiji claim the reefs are known as Teleki Reefs and were the traditional fishing grounds of Ono-i-Lau, 300 km away.
Last November Fiji patrol boats arrived in the lagoon – which is popular for yachties travelling to and from the Pacific to New Zealand – and chased yachts away.
Peter Sidler on the Swiss registered yacht Green Coral heading for the Bay of Islands told of the Fijians challenging three yachts: “We were given 30 minutes to prepare for departure and leave. We left the Minerva Reef angry and frustrated and continued our journey towards Opua.”
The CEO of Tonga’s Ministry of Lands, Dr Sione Nailasikau Halatuituia, told Fairfax that a dispute was taking place but they were surprised at the Fiji action.
“The king claimed in it 1972. Since then we have been maintaining patrols and put up a lighthouse for the safety of seafarers,” he said.
“We have developed a lot, and we are surprised at what is happening.”
Tonga also claims its people have been going to Minerva for centuries.
A year ago GNS Science geologist Cornel de Ronde, who was among the first to discover that deep underwater hydro-thermal vents were creating mineral-rich chimneys in vast fields, told Business Day that he envisaged a gold rich taking place in the region.
“It’s the last frontier for exploration. The oceans are so largely unexplored.”
Canadian company Nautilus Minerals and its partner Teck Cominco Ltd explored areas just to the north of Minerva.
In statements to Toronto and London exchanges, Teck said it had discovered four new high-grade sulphide systems on the seabed.
Samples showed they were rich in gold, copper, zinc and silver.
IHS Global Insight also points to the new Tongan Government this week signed an off-shore oil deal exploration deal.
The deal, for 37,000 square kilometres or around 5.5 percent of Tonga’s exclusive economic zone, involves a Denver venture company, Modulus-Baringer Group. Neither it, nor its managing director, Kairat Sydykov, can be found in the Denver phone book and the company cannot be found using Google.
Realpolitik.tv
