The government of French Polynesia plans to challenge a Bay Area startup's proposal to explore the seabed for minerals in international waters near its borders. President Moetai Brotherson said the territory was approached but not consulted on the plan by American Deep Sea Minerals. The company has a permit application pending with U.S. regulators.
Brotherson told Grist that French Polynesia intends to push back against the proposal. "We are not remaining passive while industrial activities are proposed immediately next to ecosystems that French Polynesia has chosen to protect," he said.
The application targets the Eastern High Seas Pocket 3, an area surrounded by the maritime borders of French Polynesia, the Cook Islands and Kiribati. The company seeks minerals for batteries and military technologies. Its chief executive, Graham Goulet, said consultations with the three governments would occur as the exploration program develops.
French Polynesia banned seabed mining in 2022 and supports using the new United Nations High Seas Treaty to create a conservation area there. U.S. regulators are accepting public comments on the application until August 3.
