VANCOUVER – On Saturday, July 18, 2026, the International Seabed Authority (ISA), charged with managing the deep seabed that lies beyond any country’s national jurisdiction, delivered its court case decision refusing to suspend its investigation into non-compliance by Canadian deep sea mining The Metals Company’s (TMC) subsidiaries, Nauru Ocean Resources Inc (“NORI”) and Tonga Offshore Mining Limited (“TOML”).

As the ISA enters its second week of the 31st session, gathering world leaders to discuss the future of deep sea mining, Saturday’s court decision delivered provisional measures by the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (ITLOS). TMC’s legal challenge from their subsidiaries NORI and TOML brought their case to the ITLOS’s Seabed Disputes Chamber to seek a legal order barring the ISA from continuing its inquiry into TMC’s non-compliance and from terminating their deep sea mining exploration contracts. TMC’s court case to the Chamber signals their continued undermining of global ocean governance.

Following the Chamber’s court ruling, the decision determined that the ISA should follow due process and clarify the inquiry procedure so that TMC’s subsidiaries, NORI and TOML, provide further information to the investigation. As a result, both NORI and the ISA must report back to the Chamber by 31 August 2026 to demonstrate compliance with the provisional measures.

The decision arrives at a time when TMC’s plans to unilaterally mine the deep sea, are violating international laws. On March 1, 2026, Greenpeace Canada released an investigative report, which outlines TMC’s attempts at bypassing established ISA processes and pursuing mining permits and licences. Time is imminent, as Canada must uphold its legal obligations as a signatory of the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) to ensure that its nationals, including corporations, do not engage in unilateral mining activities.

Multiple legal experts have argued that member countries of the UNCLOS have both an opportunity and an obligation to take action against companies and nationals under their control to prevent their participation in unilateral, unlawful deep sea mining.

Sien Van den broeke, Nature & Biodiversity Campaigner at Greenpeace Canada, said:  

“This litigation by The Metals Company is yet another tactic from the corporate bullying playbook. From spreading disinformation to bypassing international laws, it shows the extent to which the deep sea mining industry is willing to push its reckless agenda through. The deep sea is the common heritage of humankind, not a commodity to claim. This ISA session, countries are being put to the test on whether they can uphold international law and protect the global commons. Canada must take immediate action against Vancouver-based The Metals Company to prevent unlawful deep sea mining from starting and reaffirm its commitment to a moratorium on deep sea mining.”

BACKGROUND

In July 2025, Greenpeace Canada held a mural protest in front of TMC’s Vancouver headquarters with a clear message: “The ocean is not for sale.” In March 2026, an investigative report on TMC released by Greenpeace Canada, Claiming the Commons, presented the inner workings of TMC’s attempts to bypass international laws and UN conventions to mine the deep sea for profit. Following this, in April 2026, Greenpeace Canada, alongside 40 organizations across Canada, sent a letter to Prime Minister Carney, urging the government to take decisive action on unilateral deep-sea mining to truly protect the people, land and oceans. The letter underlined Canada’s legal obligation as a signatory of the UNCLOS (UN Convention on the Law of the Sea), to ensure that no Canadian entities unilaterally mine the deep sea outside of the ISA framework.

Soon after, in May 2026, the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) determined that TMC’s mining application was in full compliance. This year, Greenpeace conducted its history-making month-long science expedition to explore deep-sea ecosystems at 3,000 m in the Arctic deep seabed. The expedition, which launched May 8, 2026 and concluded in early June 2026, brought together top scientists and researchers to broadcast newly discovered deep sea creatures and unexplored ocean depths, highlighting the importance of marine protection around the world.

ENDS

Note to editors:

The investigative report, Claiming the Commons: The Legal Quagmire of The Metals Company by Greenpeace Canada, is available here.

Photos, videos and maps of Greenpeace’s 2026 Deep Arctic Expedition are available in the Greenpeace media library here.

For more information, please contact:

Sarah Micho, Communications Campaigner, Greenpeace Canada 
[email protected], +1 647 428 0603