Deep Sea Mining Divides Pacific Island Nations

9/5/2025, 1:54:13 AM

Pacific island nations are now well-known throughout the world for taking a proactive approach to climate change. This region's leaders believe that rising sea levels pose a serious threat to their survival.

However, as some countries investigate deep-sea mining—a controversial new industry—this shared commitment is currently being tested.

The pursuit of deep-sea mining by some nations, including Kiribati, Tonga, the Cook Islands, and Nauru, is challenging a shared commitment, with countries like Fiji, Palau, and Vanuatu advocating for a moratorium on operations in international waters.

Public sentiment on the islands is divided between economic development and the environmental impacts of a poorly understood industry. This division risks undermining the Pacific's moral authority in global climate change discussions.

The Risks of Deep-Sea Mining

Three main mineral kinds are the focus of this sort of mining: cobalt-rich crusts atop underwater mountains (seamounts), polymetallic nodules on ocean bottoms, and ore deposits close to hydrothermal vents.

Using autonomous vehicles to move ore to the surface and return effluent to the ocean is part of the extraction process. Suffocating marine life, this approach can produce sediment plumes. At such depths, methods aimed at minimising harm during land-based mining are mainly useless.

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Deep-Sea Mining's Increasing Appeal

The International Seabed Authority oversees 54% of the world's oceans but has not yet established regulations, preventing large-scale activities. Despite this, exploration plans are progressing without official guidelines.

Seabed minerals are estimated to be worth A$30 trillion, with significant deposits in the Clarion-Clipperton Zone, an area accessible through national sponsorship as required by international law.

Nauru is positioning itself as a sector leader by sponsoring Nauru Ocean Resources under The Metals Company, holding exploration rights since 2011 for offshore areas over 8,000 kilometres away.

Nauru

Once thriving on guano exports, this small country is now looking for new sources of income from seabed resources and plans to file for exploitation licences shortly.

Tonga

In the face of persistent financial strains associated with foreign debt, Tonga's government has also sided with The Metals Company, even though it was criticised for not engaging the public when it signed resource development deals earlier this year.

The Cook Islands

This archipelago has developed regulatory structures to ensure responsible behaviour within its Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) and has given exploration licences for its vast marine region.

Kiribati

Kiribati's state-owned enterprise is seeking foreign partnerships to explore its extensive oceanic resources, aiming to boost regional collaboration. This initiative occurs despite global concerns about environmental impacts from such ventures, exemplified by Papua New Guinea's Solwara-1 project, which faced community opposition, administration, and significant financial losses, leading to a local re-evaluation and a pivot towards sustainable alternatives.

A coalition, spearheaded by Palau, is advocating for a cessation of all offshore extraction activities pending comprehensive studies on long-term ramifications and the implementation of precautionary measures to protect regional ecosystems and safeguard future generations.

Reputation at Jeopardy

Leaders who choose to fully embrace controversial practices that undermine long-standing principles of environmental stewardship risk unintentionally undermining their credibility as voices passionately advocating for urgent issues facing humanity as a whole today!

Ultimately, events seem to influence global perceptions of Pacific islands' roles in climate change mitigation and the preservation of vital marine ecosystems crucial for oceanic life.