A Missed Opportunity for Tonga: What the Bezos Earth Fund Could Mean for Our Future
The Pacific has once again attracted global attention, this time with the announcement of more than US $37 million in new grants from the Bezos Earth Fund to support marine protection across twelve countries and territories. This funding is part of a larger US $100 million commitment to advance the Pacific-led Unlocking Blue Pacific Prosperity (UBPP) initiative, which aims to sustainably manage 100 percent of Pacific waters and protect at least 30 percent by 2030.
This is historic. It is a recognition that the Pacific Ocean is not just water — it is our lifeline, our food basket, our cultural identity, and our inheritance for future generations.
But what stands out most painfully is what is missing: Tonga is not among the beneficiaries.
Why Tonga Should Care
Other Pacific nations are tapping into international climate and ocean finance to secure long-term protections, strengthen food security, and build durable financial systems for marine conservation. This is exactly the kind of support Tonga needs. With the right vision, this fund could help Tonga:
Protect fisheries and livelihoods by enforcing sustainable fishing zones.
Develop eco-tourism as an alternative to extractive industries.
Safeguard whale sanctuaries and expand marine protected areas linked to traditional knowledge.
Access financial durability by establishing conservation trust funds that give Tonga stable income for marine management.
Instead, Tonga has chosen a very different path. Just last month, the government signed a deep sea mining (DSM) agreement with TOML. Details remain hidden from the public. This decision mortgages our seabed — and our sovereignty — for uncertain short-term gains, while closing the door to transparent, sustainable opportunities like the Bezos fund.
The Leadership That Failed Tonga
The DSM deal was not just a policy error; it was a failure of leadership. Prime Minister Dr. Aisake Valu Eke and his Minister of Lands and Natural Resources, Dr. ʻUhilamoelangi Fasi, stayed silent as they sold Tonga’s ocean floor to TOML for a penny.
They failed to inform the people, failed to open the deal to scrutiny, and failed to defend Tonga’s long-term interests. To make matters worse, Tonga’s opposition was weak and timid, unable or unwilling to mount the public campaign that was needed. Instead, the government quietly pushed DSM through, hoping nobody would notice.
This is not just about contracts — it is about trust, accountability, and the future of our children. People must remember what was done in their name, and who allowed it to happen.
The Cost of Silence
The contrast could not be sharper. While Palau’s President Surangel Whipps Jr proudly calls UBPP “our canoe for change”, Tonga is quietly surrendering its canoe to corporate contracts that risk irreversible harm to our ocean floor.
The DSM deal may seem like an economic shortcut, but it is a dangerous one. Once the seabed is disturbed, ecosystems cannot simply be restored. And once international confidence is lost in Tonga’s stewardship of its ocean, global funds and philanthropic partners will hesitate to include us.
Can Tonga Still Remedy This?
The answer is yes — but only if we act quickly. Tonga can still:
Review and renegotiate the TOML contract to introduce stronger transparency, environmental safeguards, and independent oversight.
Declare a moratorium on DSM until solid scientific data is available, aligning with the Pacific Islands Forum resolution from July.
Signal to partners like the Bezos Earth Fund that Tonga is serious about ocean stewardship, opening the door to inclusion in the next round of funding.
Leverage existing institutions such as the Huelo Matamoana Trust and community-led conservation initiatives to demonstrate readiness for international finance.
Conclusion
The Pacific is proving to the world that small nations can lead in big ways. Tonga should not be left behind. The Bezos Earth Fund is not just philanthropy; it is a recognition that our ocean is priceless. The tragedy is that while others are securing millions to safeguard their futures, Tonga is signing away its seabed in silence.
We can still change course. But that will require courage from leaders, accountability from opposition, and vigilance from the people. Tonga must decide: do we stand with those building long-term ocean prosperity, or do we let our leaders sell us out for short-term mining promises?
