Pacific island communities fight back against us deep-sea mining plans in mariana trench region

The Biden administration is accelerating controversial deep-sea mining plans in one of Earth’s most pristine ocean environments, sparking fierce opposition from Pacific Island communities who say their voices are being ignored.

In November, the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) announced its intention to lease mineral rights in waters surrounding the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI), home to some of the world’s deepest ocean trenches and unique underwater ecosystems. The agency’s proposal targets mineral-rich seamounts, hydrothermal vents, and abyssal plains that harbor rare metals needed for renewable energy technologies and electronics.

However, the plan has ignited strong resistance from local officials and residents in both CNMI and neighboring Guam—U.S. territories that would bear the environmental consequences of industrial seabed extraction. Critics argue that BOEM’s 30-day public comment period provides woefully inadequate time for meaningful community input on a project that could permanently alter their marine environment.

Local communities emphasize their deep cultural and spiritual connections to the ocean, viewing the mining proposal as another form of colonial exploitation in a region already heavily impacted by U.S. military and commercial activities. Environmental scientists warn that deep-sea mining could destroy fragile ecosystems that take centuries to develop, potentially wiping out species before they’re even discovered. The controversy highlights growing tensions between America’s push for mineral independence and Pacific Islander rights to protect their ancestral waters.