Fiji, July 30 -- A proposal to explore for deep-sea minerals in international waters between Kiribati, the Cook Islands and French Polynesia is open for public comment until 03 August, raising questions about how the Pacific Ocean should be managed while international rules for deep-sea mining remain under negotiation.

The application, lodged by a United States company, seeks exploration licences for the Eastern High Seas Pocket, an area beyond national jurisdiction in the Pacific Ocean.

According to the Pacific Islands Climate Action Network (PICAN), the application is being considered through a United States domestic licensing process while governments continue negotiating international regulations for deep-sea mining through the Inte...