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Cook Islanders are being told that any decision to mine billions of tonnes of rare earth minerals is still years away.
The sea floor surrounding the northern Cooks is seen as a potential resource to help supply the electric battery industry.
Cook Island Prime Minister Mark Brown led the mission to the Pa Enua outer islands along with Seabed Mineral Authority (SBM) and Marae Moana representation.
The delegation aimed to persuade people living on Palmerston, Nassau and Pukapuka atolls of the value of the polymetallic nodules on their seabed floors.
Some estimates put volumes at 12 billion tonnes.
Brown told locals that licensed exploration under way right now was just about data collection.