Willem Marks

And I pointed out, I'd just been on a vessel a couple of days earlier. None of his officials had been on board. And this is what he said.

And I pointed out, I'd just been on a vessel a couple of days earlier. None of his officials had been on board. And this is what he said.

And I pointed out, I'd just been on a vessel a couple of days earlier. None of his officials had been on board. And this is what he said.

So right now, do you know that the vessel is in the country?

So right now, do you know that the vessel is in the country?

So right now, do you know that the vessel is in the country?

And yet you're managing director of the Mineral Resources Authority.

And yet you're managing director of the Mineral Resources Authority.

And yet you're managing director of the Mineral Resources Authority.

Now... companies, the investors involved in this, they say, well, of course he knew about it. All of the officials in Papua New Guinea know about what we're trying to do there. All of them have signed off on it. But he wasn't the only person who said they weren't aware of that vessel. I had a similar interaction with a man called Alan Bird, also in the capital city.

Now... companies, the investors involved in this, they say, well, of course he knew about it. All of the officials in Papua New Guinea know about what we're trying to do there. All of them have signed off on it. But he wasn't the only person who said they weren't aware of that vessel. I had a similar interaction with a man called Alan Bird, also in the capital city.

Now... companies, the investors involved in this, they say, well, of course he knew about it. All of the officials in Papua New Guinea know about what we're trying to do there. All of them have signed off on it. But he wasn't the only person who said they weren't aware of that vessel. I had a similar interaction with a man called Alan Bird, also in the capital city.

He's the governor of one of the largest provinces in Papua New Guinea. He's been opposed for years to the idea of underwater mining. So I asked him about this permitting issue.

He's the governor of one of the largest provinces in Papua New Guinea. He's been opposed for years to the idea of underwater mining. So I asked him about this permitting issue.

He's the governor of one of the largest provinces in Papua New Guinea. He's been opposed for years to the idea of underwater mining. So I asked him about this permitting issue.

You're a senior governor in this country. Yeah. And the fact that you don't know about that... How does that make you feel? Deeply worried.

You're a senior governor in this country. Yeah. And the fact that you don't know about that... How does that make you feel? Deeply worried.

You're a senior governor in this country. Yeah. And the fact that you don't know about that... How does that make you feel? Deeply worried.

It kind of depends, right? So you've got people who have an obligation to regulate an industry like this, whether that's the environmental agency or the mining regulator, the fisheries authority. Really, none of them claimed to know anything about it or were willing to talk to me. And then you have people like Alan Bird and another senior governor I spoke to.

It kind of depends, right? So you've got people who have an obligation to regulate an industry like this, whether that's the environmental agency or the mining regulator, the fisheries authority. Really, none of them claimed to know anything about it or were willing to talk to me. And then you have people like Alan Bird and another senior governor I spoke to.