EnviroStrat successfully led the response of New Zealand’s largest tribe to a proposal for deep sea phosphate mining on the Chatham Rise, NZ. Developed and executed a strategy to refute the evidence presented by the applicant through a 3 month hearing process, including engaging and managing experts in economics, ecology, ecotoxicology, planning, and international best practice. There were a number of unresolved issues, including the impact on existing fisheries and cultural interests, the need for adaptive management in the context of very large infrastructure development, restoration techniques using the precautionary principle, and the reliance of modelling as a proxy for baseline environmental information in a deep sea environment.
