And to you, the people of the Cook Islands, I say-let us begin.” – Albert Henry, Inaugural Address, 1965. These were the words of the Papa of our democracy, spoken in 1965 at his inaugural address.

A 1,000-tonne ship is exploring the far-flung South Pacific for riches buried beneath the waves, spearheading efforts to dredge the tropical waters for industrial deep-sea mining. But plans to mine ...