April 02, 2024
Pacific nations voice microplastic feats
A Te Rarawa woman attending a Pacific Leaders summit on plastics pollution intends to speak out about what she says is the New Zealand Government’s anti-environmental policies.
The three-day conference starts tomorrow on Rapa Nui-Easter Island.
Catherine Murupaenga-Ikenn says the Government has killed the Kermadec Ocean Sanctuary in favour of fishing interests, and it’s lilkely to approve seabed mining.
She says the spread of microplastics, throught the oceans is just one more threat to the planet.
“So they’re looking at the Pacific as a whole new area of exploitation. All this is going to be terribly destructive for our marine life – and it’s just not sustainable,” Ms Murupaenga-Ikenn says.
She will be presenting on the danger of using microplastics in rain-seeding technologies – with dry countries increasingly desperate for water.