The mining company searching for deep sea minerals in Temotu Province of Solomon Islands says it is prioritising safety of the marine environment in its exploration work.Australia-based Bluewater Metals was granted a licence last year to search for gold in sites around Temotu.Greenpeace has found the potential impact of deep sea mining is not properly understood and Temotu people concerned about the environmental impact of deep sea mining are calling for more consultations before it proceeds.However Bluewater’s co-founder Timothy McConachy says that they’re only exploring at this stage and that mining, if it goes ahead, is years away. “We’re learning as we go and hence the baby step, cautious approach that we’re taking. We want to be open and transparent. It’s a learning curve that everyone’s on and by taking the baby step approach, we actually learn as we go but overall I think we’re fairly knowledgable.”Timothy McConachy