Overview:
Palau President Surangel S. Whipps Jr. renewed Palau’s call for a moratorium and precautionary pause on deep-sea mining, urging the International Seabed Authority to put ocean protection ahead of short-term economic interests. Speaking in Jamaica on July 30, Whipps invoked Palau’s traditional practice of bul and called for stronger safeguards for the deep ocean.
By Laurel Marewibuel
KOROR, Palau — President Surangel S. Whipps Jr. called for greater protection of the deep ocean and renewed Palau’s push for a moratorium and precautionary pause on deep-sea mining during an address to the International Seabed Authority in Jamaica on July 30.
“The deep ocean is our common heritage, not a new frontier for exploitation,” Whipps told delegates at the meeting.
Whipps: “Protection first”
Whipps urged leaders to put environmental protection ahead of potential short-term economic gains as countries consider the future of deep-sea mining.
He called for “a moratorium and precautionary pause on deep-sea mining,” saying the seabed should be protected “for our children, our planet, and all humankind.”
The president also invoked Palau’s traditional practice of bul, which restricts access to natural resources to allow them to recover and remain sustainable.
“Indigenous and traditional knowledge already teaches us how to live in balance with the ocean,” Whipps said.
Describing Palau as a “big ocean state,” Whipps said the country supports a growing coalition of nations seeking stronger environmental safeguards through the ISA.
“Palau stands with the growing coalition of countries demanding that the ISA put protection first,” he said.
Whipps said he hoped the Jamaica meeting would be remembered as a turning point in the global debate over deep-sea mining.
He urged countries to make Jamaica “the place where the world chose stewardship over short-term gain.”
Palauans respond online
The president’s remarks also drew reactions from some Palauans online after posts about his address circulated on social media.
One young man thanked Whipps for encouraging women in Palau to participate in discussions about ocean mining and called for greater cooperation among Palau’s neighboring countries and the wider Oceania region.
“Thank you President,” others commented in brief messages of support.
Palau has consistently advocated for caution over deep-sea mining, emphasizing the need to understand potential impacts on marine ecosystems before allowing commercial exploitation of the ocean floor.