Opinion: Tonga’s Government Sells Out the Future for Deep-Sea Mining
By Melino Maka – Political, Economic & Good Governance Commentator
The Tongan Government has now signed a new sponsorship agreement with Tonga Offshore Mining Limited (TOML) and its parent company The Metals Company (TMC). The contract and accompanying documents have been quietly published on the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission website — buried under legal jargon and with every key financial term blacked out. The public is left to guess what has been traded away, while the real costs will only become clear when it is far too late.
Let’s be blunt: this new contract is even worse for Tonga than the old one. And the old one was already a national embarrassment.
Who Signed This For Tonga — And Why?
The Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, Hon. Dr. ʻUhilamoelangi Fasi, and the Chief Executive Officer of the Ministry, Mr. Taaniela Kula, attended the signing on behalf of the Government of Tonga.
It must be made clear: Dr. Fasi signed the agreement, but it was Mr. Kula who provided the advice to the Minister — advice that ultimately guided Cabinet’s decision to approve the deal.
The people of Tonga have the right to know:
- Did Dr. Fasi fully understand the legal and financial risks before authorising this signature?
- What exactly did Mr. Kula advise the Minister and Cabinet?
- Why did they believe this deal was better for Tonga, when independent analysis shows it is worse than the previous agreement?
The Prime Minister’s Own Words — Now Contradicted
On 10 July, Prime Minister Hon. Hu’akavameiliku Siaosi Sovaleni wrote:
“The Forum had met early this year and discussed this very issue and adopted the resolution to task scientific arms of the Forum to carry out research with other reputable institutions to obtain solid scientific data to consider the economic and environment of this undertaking. That is the right approach rather than taking a stand on rhetoric rather than fact.”
These words make sense. They describe a careful, evidence-based path: gather the science first, then decide. Yet just weeks later, the Government abandoned that logic and signed a binding commercial deal without waiting for the scientific research to be completed.
This is not just inconsistent — it is reckless. It shows that even when our leaders acknowledge the need for caution, they are willing to ignore their own stated position when corporate pressure is applied.
A Deal That Protects the Mining Company — Not Tonga
Having reviewed the draft version of this agreement back in June, when the financial figures were still visible, I can confirm there is no evidence they have changed in the final version. The new structure is loaded with legal and financial risks that tighten TMC’s control and loosen Tonga’s ability to act in its own best interest.
This is not “partnership.” This is entanglement — the kind that will be expensive to escape.
The Public Shut Out — Again
The Government has shown complete disregard for transparency and public accountability. There was no national consultation, no parliamentary debate of substance, and certainly no presentation of the risks to our economy, environment, or sovereignty.
The published documents are heavily redacted — stripping out the numbers and terms that would allow the Tongan people to know exactly what is at stake. If this were truly a good deal for Tonga, why hide the financial details? The answer is obvious: because the public would be outraged.
Environmental and Legal Timebomb
Deep-sea mining is not a benign activity. It is an untested, irreversible gamble with our ocean ecosystems — ecosystems that feed us, sustain our culture, and buffer us from climate change. Once damaged, the deep seabed cannot be restored in any human lifetime.
The International Seabed Authority (ISA) has already failed to meet its own deadlines to adopt Exploitation Regulations. Yet our Government charges ahead with an agreement that presumes the green light will come soon — essentially gambling our sovereignty and environment on a speculative timetable.
The legal entanglements in this new contract mean that if Tonga ever tries to withdraw or tighten conditions, TMC will have multiple avenues to sue or demand compensation. We have bound ourselves to a company that will fight tooth and nail to prioritise its profits over our people.
No Mandate, No Vision
This Government has no mandate from the people to enter such a binding and high-risk deal. Tonga’s future — both environmental and economic — is being decided behind closed doors by a small group of officials more eager to please foreign investors than to safeguard the nation for future generations.
If our leaders were acting in the national interest, they would have:
- Conducted full, public environmental risk assessments.
- Held nationwide consultations before signing.
- Made all financial terms public.
- Built strong exit clauses to protect Tonga.
- Ensured any deal delivers clear, measurable, long-term benefits to the people — not just to the mining company.
They did none of this.
We Must Demand Better
We cannot allow this Government to drag us deeper into dependence on an industry that could leave us poorer, sicker, and more divided. The Tongan people deserve the truth about this agreement, and we deserve a say in whether our deep ocean — a treasure that belongs to all of us — should be mined at all.
The time to speak out is now. Waiting until the first mining vessel begins scraping the seabed will be too late. We must demand transparency, accountability, and a pause on this reckless path. Tonga’s future is not for sale — and certainly not at a discount to a foreign corporation.
