Fiji, May 20 -- Pacific civil society organisations have condemned their exclusion from a regional International Seabed Authority (ISA) workshop in Fiji, warning that decisions on deep-sea mining are being shaped without the full participation of Pacific voices.

The criticism was raised by members of the Pacific Regional Non-Government Organisations (PRNGO) Alliance at a press conference Tuesday as the ISA Pacific Small Island Developing States Regional Workshop on the "Deep Seabed Sustainable Blue Growth Initiative" commenced in Suva from 19 - 21 May.

The alliance, comprising the Fiji Council of Social Services (FCOSS), Pacific Conference of Churches (PCC), Pacific Network on Globalisation (PANG) and Greenpeace Australia Pacific, said ...