In response to The Metals Company’s push to fast-track deep-sea mining in the High Seas under the U.S. Seabed Mining Code, Arlo Hemphill, Greenpeace USA’s Deep Sea Mining Campaign Lead, stated: “Greenpeace USA condemns this reckless attempt by The Metals Company (TMC) to bypass international law and commercialize mining in the high seas and US-adjacent waters. It is nothing less than the plunder of the Pacific once again being pursued without the consent of Pacific Peoples. We cannot allow another dangerous extension of corporate greed and neo-colonialism, sacrificing ocean health, Indigenous rights, and future generations for the short-term gain of a few corporations to repeat itself in the deep sea.”
TMC’s application comes as Congress meets today, Tuesday, April 29, in a hearing requested by the House Natural Resources Committee, to explore the Potential of Deep-Sea Mining to expand American Mineral production. The application for mining TMC USA-A_2 in the Clarion Clipperton Zone attempts to exploit the U.S. legal system to advance mining operations in areas it was already licensed to explore under Nauru’s sponsorship through the International Seabed Authority processes. It disregards the multilateral process agreed upon by 170 countries and the European Union under UNCLOS. The company has faced opposition in that body from 32 countries and several Indigenous Pacific groups that have called for a ban, pause, or moratorium on deep sea mining.
Solomon P. Kaho’ohalahala, chair of the Pacific Island Heritage Coalition, said: “The people of the Pacific have a cultural connection to the deep sea. It is the birthplace of our ancestors, and of all life. Deep sea mining is an assault on our cultural heritage, and it is being rushed forward without our consultation. We call on Congress to stop this assault on the ocean we know as home, and to respect the values of Hawaiians and people from across the Pacific who will be on the frontlines should this industry take hold.”
Hemphill continued: “We urge congressional leaders to defend democratic oversight, reject corporate shortcuts, and protect the deep ocean. Greenpeace USA stands with Pacific communities, Indigenous leaders, scientists, and governments worldwide calling for a moratorium on this dangerous industry. We must defend the oceans, uphold international law, and reject a broken system that gambles our planet’s future for corporate profit.”
Louisa Casson, Greenpeace International Senior Campaigner, said: “The first application to commercially mine the seabed will be remembered as an act of total disregard for international law and scientific consensus. This unilateral US effort to carve up the Pacific Ocean already faces fierce international opposition. Governments around the world must now step up to defend international rules and cooperation against rogue deep sea mining. Leaders will be meeting at the UN Oceans Conference in Nice in June, where they must speak with one voice in support of a moratorium on this reckless industry.”
President Trump’s recent executive order promoting U.S. plans to initiate deep-sea mining in both U.S. and international waters has faced widespread criticism from several environmental NGOs, and state actors, including France, China, and the European Commission who have condemned it as a unilateral action that undermines multilateral cooperation and the United Nations. While the U.S. never ratified UNCLOS, bypassing the international system violates global norms that safeguard the deep ocean as the “common heritage of humankind,” setting a dangerous precedent for the management of all global commons.
Contact: Tanya Brooks, Senior Communications Specialist at Greenpeace USA, [email protected]
Greenpeace USA is part of a global network of independent campaigning organizations that use peaceful protest and creative communication to expose global environmental problems and promote solutions that are essential to a green and peaceful future. Greenpeace USA is committed to transforming the country’s unjust social, environmental, and economic systems from the ground up to address the climate crisis, advance racial justice, and build an economy that puts people first. Learn more at www.greenpeace.org/usa.
