US Firm Seeks Seabed Mining Lease Near French Polynesia

A U.S. startup, American Deep Sea Minerals, is seeking approval from the Trump administration to lease 25 million acres of international waters for seabed mining exploration. This area, known as Eastern High Seas Pocket 3, is located just outside the exclusive economic zones of French Polynesia, the Cook Islands, and Kiribati. French Polynesia established the world's largest contiguous marine protected area last summer, reinforcing its 2022 ban on seabed mining, with President Emmanuel Macron stating "The deep sea is not for sale." The targeted seabed pocket is rich in albacore, yellowfin, and bigeye tuna and is frequented by numerous fishing vessels annually.

American Deep Sea Minerals is the first company to propose exploring this specific region for manganese and other critical minerals. This move aligns with a global effort to exploit resources essential for batteries, military technologies, and other modern applications. The company's application is seen as an attempt to bypass international regulations governing deep-sea mining in international waters. The majority of nations have agreed to a treaty that places oversight of such activities in the high seas under the International Seabed Authority (ISA), a body currently negotiating a regulatory framework for the industry. The ISA is scheduled to meet this month to continue these discussions.

The debate surrounding deep-sea mining has persisted for over a decade, with no commercial operations commencing. Concerns regarding potential harm to fisheries and marine habitats, alongside cautionary advice from Indigenous Pacific peoples, have contributed to this pause. The application by American Deep Sea Minerals comes shortly after significant environmental declarations by French Polynesia and a year before the United Nations World Ocean's Conference. The company's pursuit of this lease highlights ongoing tensions between resource extraction interests and international conservation efforts in the Pacific Ocean.