The International Seabed Authority is convening in Jamaica this week to discuss finalizing rules for deep-sea mining by year's end. Indigenous advocates push for inclusion of their rights and cultural ties to the ocean amid concerns over environmental impacts. The accelerated timeline responds to U.S. President Donald Trump's policies promoting mining outside international frameworks.
Representatives from about three dozen countries are gathering at the International Seabed Authority (ISA) in Jamaica to address regulations for extracting minerals from the seabed in international waters. The ISA has worked for a decade on these rules, involving governments, industry, Indigenous groups, and environmentalists. Key minerals targeted include cobalt and manganese, essential for electric vehicle batteries and defense technologies like submarines and aircraft.
ISA Secretary-General Leticia Carvalho recently stated her aim to complete the regulations by the end of 2026, shifting from earlier estimates of several years. This change partly reacts to Trump's initiatives to expedite mining in U.S. and international waters without ISA oversight. Over the past year, the administration has simplified permit processes, allowing companies to profit faster, and proposed easing environmental rules for oversight agencies. It also signed a mining deal with the Cook Islands, despite local opposition in areas like American Samoa and the Mariana Islands.
Pacific Indigenous advocates emphasize protecting deep-sea ecology, historic sites, and their ocean connections. Frank Murphy from French Polynesia highlighted progress in draft regulations but expressed doubt about timely finalization, noting over 30 unresolved issues, including environmental safeguards and Indigenous rights. "This is not voted on, and we have no vote," Murphy said. "So the first time we did this, everything that we added was taken out. This may be the case again."
Environmental groups call for a mining moratorium until ecosystems are better understood. Emma Wilson of the Deep Sea Conservation Coalition criticized rushing the code, stating, "The adoption of the code will not bring unilateral actors back to the ISA, and the ISA should not be engaging in a futile race with these rogue players." Imogen Ingram, Indigenous to the Cook Islands, raised pollution fears: mining plumes could smother plankton, disrupting the food chain and reducing tuna stocks vital to communities.
Greenpeace and others seek accountability for companies bypassing ISA processes. Last summer, the ISA Council voted to probe violations by firms like The Metals Company's subsidiaries, Nauru Ocean Resources Inc. and Tonga Offshore Mining Ltd. Louisa Casson of Greenpeace described the unity: "Last year, governments at the ISA were united in their condemnation and their shock and disapproval of this single private company walking out of the multilateral process." An ISA report on these matters may emerge this week, with calls to rescind exploration contracts up for renewal. Murphy remains optimistic: "It is amazing that we have gotten this far though. So fingers crossed that we may succeed."