Posted inPacific News

CNMI leader urges caution as U.S advances Pacific seabed mining plan

SAIPAN, 20 AUGUST 2026 (RNZ PACIFIC)—The Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI) Governor David Apatang says protecting Pacific waters and island communities must come first as the United States moves ahead with plans that could eventually open a vast area of seabed around the Mariana Trench to mineral development.  The U.S Marine Minerals Administration, […]

Posted inIn Focus

Experts say ‘bare bones’ U.S laws are unfit to regulate nascent deep-sea mining industry

By Elizabeth Claire Alberts   WASHINGTON, 11 JUNE 2026 (MONGABAY) — The deep-sea mining industry could launch in the near future in U.S federal waters. Yet legal experts and former government officials warn that the regulations that would govern this industry are outdated and lack important oversight provisions.  In April 2025, the Trump administration signaled its […]

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