U.S. seabed mining proposal near Northern Mariana Islands

The U.S. Marine Minerals Administration (MMA) has issued a Proposed Leasing Notice for potential offshore critical mineral lease sales near the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI). The proposal aims to target seabed blocks containing manganese, nickel, cobalt, and copper to support national security and battery technology. This initiative could potentially open approximately 69 million acres of seabed around the Mariana Trench to mineral development.

The proposal has drawn significant scrutiny from local leaders and advocacy groups. David Apatang, Governor of the CNMI, has called for extreme caution, requesting rigorous, independent, and peer-reviewed environmental baseline studies alongside protections for commercial and subsistence fisheries. He emphasized the need for local leaders and traditional officials to participate in reviewing survey plans and monitoring data.

Additionally, scholars and Indigenous advocates are raising concerns regarding climate justice and the impact of deep-sea extraction on Pacific ecosystems and Indigenous Pacific Islander communities. Experts are focusing on how these communities mediate responses to the commercialization of their waters to protect oceanic ancestors and marine resources.