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 Yet legal experts and former government officials warn that the regulations that would govern this industry are outdated and lack important oversight provisions.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 […]
Tag: International Seabed Authority
Posted inIn Focus
U.S prepares to auction leases for seabed mining blocks in federal waters
WASHINGTON, 28 MAY 2026 (MONGABAY) — The U.S agency responsible for overseeing deep-sea mining in federal waters is preparing to auction off seabed blocks within months — a step that could kick-start commercial-scale deep-sea mining and make the U.S one of the first countries to allow it. Deep-sea mining has not yet begun anywhere in […]
Posted inPacific News
An ocean of peace cannot be mined into existence, church leader says
SUVA, 20 MAY 2026 (ISLANDS BUSINESS)—A Pacific hurch leader has warned that deep-sea mining would violate the region’s cultural and spiritual ties to the ocean, arguing that it should be subject to a moratorium or precautionary pause. General Secretary of the Pacific Conference of Churches (PCC), Reverend James Bhagwan, said the issue was not just […]
Posted inPacific News
Deep sea ‘gold rush’ could be a death sentence for Pacific biodiversity – report
AUCKLAND, 06 MAY 2026 (PMN)—A landmark review of 50 years of data has delivered a chilling verdict on deep sea mining: the impact on Pacific ecosystems will be “dire and long-lasting,” potentially wiping out undiscovered species before they are even named. The study, published in Current Biology, comes as the Pacific remains the global “ground […]
Posted inIn Focus
Deep sea mining is the next geopolitical frontline – and the Pacific is in the crosshairs
By Viliame Kasanawaqa CANBERRA, 22 JANUARY 2026 (THE CONVERSATION) —i When the United States recently escalated its confrontation with Venezuela – carrying out strikes in Caracas and capturing President Nicolás Maduro – the moves were framed as political intervention. But the raid also reflected a deeper contest over oil and critical mineral supply chains. For […]