Deep Sea Mining in Guam?

Deep-sea mining is the industrial process of extracting mineral deposits—such as cobalt, nickel, copper, and manganese—from the ocean floor, typically at depths of 200 to over 4,000 meters. It aims to secure resources for green technologies like electric vehicle (EV) batteries, solar panels, and electronics as land-based supplies decrease.

The following is an article published in a local newspaper, the Guam Daily Post:

Guam's top agriculture official is warning that a push to open the deep ocean to mining could hurt the island's fisheries and way of life before any meaningful protections are in place.

Her concerns come as delegates from around the world gather in Kingston, Jamaica, trying to finalize long-delayed regulations for deep-sea mining at the International Seabed Authority. In a report published Friday, NPR said the United States is already moving to speed up seabed extraction in Pacific waters, including areas near American Samoa, Guam, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, even though no global framework yet exists.

In response to questions from The Guam Daily Post, Guam Department of Agriculture director Chelsa Muña said there are still "no binding safeguards preventing exploration from transitioning into accelerated extraction without adequate local consultation." She called that gap "a direct threat to our fisheries and marine environment" and to CHamoru cultural ties to the sea.

Her comments follow a Feb. 26 meeting in Hagåtña where acting Gov. Josh Tenorio and other island officials pressed the U.S. Bureau of Ocean Energy Management and the Department of the Interior for answers about possible deep-sea mining in Marianas waters. According to Muña, Tenorio delivered a letter at that meeting raising pointed questions: who would monitor environmental impacts far offshore, who would bear liability for damage, and whether federal regulators have the capacity to enforce protections in the region.

Muña said the answers they got fell short.

Walter Ulloa | The Guam Daily Post

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