Deep Sea Mining: Trump’s Executive Order Ignites a New Environmental and Economic Risk for the Pacific
The “next gold rush” — that’s how the U.S. regulator empowered to approve deep sea mining projects has hailed Donald Trump’s latest Executive Order. But for the Pacific Islands, including Tonga, this so-called “rush” threatens to unleash a new era of environmental destruction, economic vulnerability, and geopolitical instability.
Trump’s Executive Order fast-tracks approval for deep sea mining in U.S. and international waters, bypassing the United Nations’ International Seabed Authority (ISA) — the body tasked with protecting global ocean resources while governance frameworks are still being negotiated. By effectively sidelining international law and environmental safeguards, Trump’s move has drawn fierce criticism from the UN, environmental organizations, and countries including China.
At the heart of the controversy lies the Clarion-Clipperton Zone (CCZ) — a vast, mineral-rich swath of the Pacific Ocean spanning about 6 million square kilometres between Mexico and Hawaii. Hidden on the ocean floor are staggering quantities of critical minerals like nickel, cobalt, manganese, and rare earth elements — minerals vital for manufacturing electric car batteries, wind turbines, and clean energy technologies.
But these minerals come at an extraordinary environmental cost.
Why This Matters to Tonga and the Pacific Islands
Tonga — along with other Pacific Island nations — sits precariously close to the heart of this deep sea mining frontier. Tonga itself has already been drawn into the industry through controversial partnerships with companies such as The Metals Company (formerly DeepGreen), which has exploration contracts in Tonga’s exclusive economic zone (EEZ) and international waters under Tongan sponsorship.
Trump’s Executive Order accelerates a “wild west” approach that undermines international safeguards the Pacific has fought hard for. The Pacific Islands Forum, of which Tonga is a key member, has repeatedly called for a moratorium on deep sea mining until rigorous scientific research can prove it is safe.
The implications are serious:
- Environmental Destruction: Deep sea mining could devastate fragile, unexplored ecosystems that have evolved over millions of years. Sediment plumes, toxic waste, and habitat destruction could harm fisheries, marine biodiversity, and the overall health of the Pacific Ocean, a lifeline for Pacific Islanders’ food security and cultural identity.
- Economic Risks: While deep sea mining companies promise “wealth” for sponsoring nations like Tonga, the reality is that small states could shoulder the financial and legal liability for environmental damages if mining projects go wrong. Tonga could face lawsuits, reputational damage, and long-term economic burdens while multinationals walk away with the profits.
- Loss of Sovereignty: By fast-tracking mining without global consensus, Trump’s order undermines smaller nations’ voices in setting international ocean governance rules. Pacific countries risk becoming spectators — or worse, victims — as bigger powers carve up the ocean’s resources for their own gain.
Climate Hypocrisy: Although deep sea mining is being marketed as “green” because it supplies minerals for clean energy, mining the ocean could accelerate the climate crisis by destroying one of Earth’s most important carbon sinks: the deep ocean ecosystem.
A New Colonialism Beneath the Waves
Trump’s move represents more than just a legal shortcut — it marks a broader shift toward resource nationalism and ocean colonialism. Powerful countries and corporations are racing to claim the seabed’s riches under the guise of economic progress, while the Pacific faces the environmental fallout.
Professor Rick Valenta, Director of the Sustainable Minerals Institute at the University of Queensland, warns that the scale of planned mining dwarfs current land mining operations. Already, companies have filed applications to mine more than 1.25 million square kilometres — nearly 22 times the size of Tonga itself.
Once mining begins, the damage could be irreversible — vast swaths of the deep sea ecosystem destroyed before they are even properly studied.
What Tonga and the Pacific Must Demand
- Immediate Moratorium: Tonga and fellow Pacific Island nations should rally international support for an immediate moratorium on deep sea mining until full scientific consensus on its safety is reached.
- Regional Solidarity: The Pacific must act collectively, strengthening regional agreements like the Pacific Ocean Commissioner’s Blue Pacific Continent Strategy to defend their ocean territories against exploitation.
- Legal and Financial Protections: Tonga must ensure that it is protected from bearing liability for damages caused by foreign mining companies operating under its flag.
- Reinforce International Law: Tonga should advocate for the strengthening of the UN’s International Seabed Authority and resist any unilateral attempts to erode international governance frameworks.
Conclusion:
Trump’s Executive Order has lit the fuse on a dangerous and reckless race to exploit the Pacific’s seabed. For Tonga and its Pacific neighbours, the “gold rush” threatens not riches, but ruin — unless urgent, unified action is taken to protect the ocean that sustains their cultures, economies, and futures.
The Pacific was once a testing ground for nuclear weapons. It must not now become the world’s underwater mining experiment.Melino Maka
Tonga Independent News
