Greenpeace activists occupy New Zealand research vessel to protest deep sea mining

Greenpeace activists have occupied the Tangaroa, a New Zealand state-owned research vessel, in Wellington to protest deep sea mining activities. The vessel recently completed mineral exploration work in the Clarion-Clipperton Zone on behalf of UK Seabed Resources Ltd, a subsidiary of the American company Glomar Minerals, Inc.

Protesters are targeting the role of New Zealand in facilitating exploration for companies aiming to begin mining in the Pacific as early as 2027. Greenpeace Aotearoa campaigners expressed concerns that such extraction could cause irreversible damage to the seafloor and threaten the cultural heritage and livelihoods of Pacific communities. The protest included activists using banners and costumes to criticize what they described as attempts to bypass international laws regarding mineral extraction in international waters.