The Pacific Ocean, an immense and powerful force — dynamic, life-sustaining, and deeply complex.
“Ocean is vast, Oceania is expanding. Oceania is hospitable and generous, Oceania is humanity rising from the depths of brine and regions of fire deeper still, Oceania is us. We are the sea, we are the ocean, we must wake up to this ancient truth and together use it to overturn all hegemonic views that ultimately aim to confine us again, physically and psychologically, in the tiny spaces that we have resisted accepting as our sole appointed places and from which we have recently liberated ourselves. We must not allow anyone to belittle us again, and take away our freedom. – Hau’ofa, E. 1994. Our Sea of Islands”
And perhaps summarize what Colonialism, Capitalism, Climate Change, Nuclear testing and extractivism did to the Pacific and continues to do in the Pacific…..plain truths!
Facts about Deep Sea Mining: What It Means for the Pacific
The Pacific Ocean is a source of life. It feeds us, connects us, and holds our stories. For generations, Pacific peoples have protected the Moana — not just for ourselves, but for the world.
But now, that ocean is under threat from a dangerous and unnecessary industry: deep sea mining.
Companies like The Metals Company (TMC) want to tear up the seafloor in search of minerals — and they’re targeting the Pacific as their testing ground. We can’t let that happen.
Here’s what you need to know about deep sea mining — and why we must stop it before it starts.
What is Deep Sea Mining?
Deep sea mining involves using giant machines to extract metals like cobalt and nickel from the ocean floor, often at depths of 4,000 to 6,000 metres. These metals are found in three main forms; Polymetallic nodules scattered across the seafloor, Polymetallic sulphides around hydrothermal vents, and Cobalt-rich crusts on underwater mountains called seamounts.
Mining companies say this is needed for the “green transition” — but that’s not true. We already have alternatives, and we can build better systems without destroying the deep sea.
This isn’t about saving the planet. It’s about profit.
What’s at Risk for the Pacific?
The deep sea is one of the most fragile and least understood ecosystems on Earth. Life there evolves slowly — some species live for hundreds or even thousands of years. We’re only just beginning to understand how it all works.
Tearing up the seabed could:
- Wipe out species before they’re even discovered
- Disrupt climate systems by interfering with carbon storage
- Spread toxic sediment that harms marine life across the ocean
- Risk to Pacific Food security
Once it’s gone, it’s gone for good.
This Is About More Than the Environment
For Pacific peoples, the ocean is family. It holds our history, our culture, and our future. It’s not a resource to be exploited — it’s a sacred space to be protected.
Deep sea mining threatens to break that relationship. It’s not just environmental destruction — it’s cultural loss. It violates our right to protect the spaces our ancestors have cared for over generations for our future generations?
The recent discovery of “dark oxygen”—oxygen produced in the ocean’s depths without sunlight—has profound implications for our understanding of marine ecosystems. This phenomenon, identified in the Clarion-Clipperton Zone, suggests that metallic nodules can generate oxygen through electrolysis, a process previously unknown in such environments. This revelation underscores the complexity and fragility of deep-sea habitats, highlighting the need for caution in any activities that could disrupt these delicate systems.
For Pacific communities, the ocean is not merely a resource but a sacred space integral to our identity and heritage. The potential impacts of deep-sea mining on these newly discovered processes and ecosystems could lead to irreversible cultural and environmental losses. Therefore, it is imperative that decisions regarding the ocean’s future prioritize the protection of its mysteries and the rights of those who have long revered its depths.
Who Really Benefits? (Hint: It’s Not the Pacific)
The deep sea mining industry says it will create opportunities for Pacific nations. But the truth is, companies like The Metals Company are using our leaders— cutting corners, ignoring science, and fast-tracking approvals without consent. They have not only exploited a loophole in international law by using Nauru to fast-track deep sea mining — they’ve also taken full advantage of the Trump administration’s disdain for multilateralism to push their agenda. By undermining global consensus and ignoring scientific warnings, TMC is attempting to mine the ocean floor without proper rules or regional consent.
This isn’t development; it’s a modern-day extraction scheme dressed up as opportunity. While U.S. politicians frame deep sea mining as a geopolitical strategy against China, the real cost will be borne by Pacific communities — yet again left out of decisions that directly affect their environment, their economies, and their future. We’ve been here before — from colonial resource grabs to nuclear testing — and we know who really benefits. It’s not the Pacific.
Deep sea mining is a nascent industry which threatens to destroy deep ocean habitats that we still know very little about. In parallel, Greenpeace International activists are in the Pacific Ocean where they have been carrying out a protest against The Metals Company for the past six days.
TMC used Nauru to trigger a controversial loophole at the International Seabed Authority (ISA), trying to rush into mining before global rules are even in place. That’s not partnership — it’s exploitation.
We know how this story goes. We’ve seen it with colonialism. With nuclear testing. With climate change.
We Need a Moratorium Now
A moratorium on deep sea mining would pause this dangerous industry before it causes irreversible harm. It’s our best chance to:
- Let science catch up
- Give communities a real say
- Protect the ocean for future generations and all humankind
Countries like Vanuatu, Palau, Republic of the Marshall Islands, Samoa, Tuvalu and Fiji have already taken a stand. We need more leaders — and everyday people — to rise up.
The Pacific is Not a Mining Zone
The ocean is not a profit-making playground for corporations. It’s a life force — and it belongs to all of us.
Deep sea mining is a destructive industry driven by reckless greed. But we still have time to stop it.
Together, we can protect our moana, honour the wisdom of Pacific guardians, and clearly say: No to deep sea mining in the Pacific — Not Now, Not Ever.
Join the Movement
Call on governments to back a global moratorium.
Stand in solidarity with Pacific communities leading the resistance.
[Sign the petition] to help protect our blue Pacific home.
The deep sea is not for sale. Let’s rise up to protect it — together.
