Seabed Secrets: Tongans Question Government’s Deep-Sea Mining Deal
By Tevita Tu’ifua. Environmental Correspondent
The ocean has always been more than just water for the people of Tonga. It is identity, sustenance, and spiritual connection. So when it was revealed that the government had quietly signed a new agreement with a mining company to advance deep-sea mineral extraction, many were left shocked and angry.
Early last month, the government hosted a public consultation on deep-sea mining.At every turn, communities pushed back. From Civil society leaders,fishermen and church leaders to youth advocates and environmentalists, the answer was the same: Tonga must protect its ocean, not exploit it. People voiced concerns about the unknown consequences of mining the seafloor, the fragility of deep-sea ecosystems, and the risks to marine life that generations of Tongans depend on.
The ocean is not just a resource. It is our inheritance,” said Mele Weilert from Ha’atafu, a community leader of a women’s group and environmentalist. “Once we destroy it, we lose a part of ourselves.”
That makes the government’s decision to sign a revised Sponsorship Agreement with Tonga Offshore Mining Ltd ,a subsidiary of The Metals Company ,all the more jarring. The announcement wasn’t made at home but through a press release issued in New York. Most Tongans learned about it from overseas media. Even more troubling, the deal appears to have been in the works all along.
This raises a painful question: if the government had already decided to go ahead, why consult the people at all?
The agreement promises financial benefits, training, and social programs if commercial mining moves forward. But critics say those promises are vague, and the environmental protections remain unclear. Tonga’s government has also pointed to the slow progress of the International Seabed Authority in finalising global mining rules, and appears to be looking at alternative paths, including those under U.S. law. That’s raised red flags for environmental groups, who fear these workarounds will lead to weaker protections and greater risks.
“There’s a real fear that Tonga is being used to push a global industry forward, without fully understanding what we’re giving up,” said an environmental lawyer based in Nuku‘alofa. “This isn’t development. It’s exploitation of the ocean and of the people.”
For a nation that has long prided itself on custodianship of the sea, the decision cuts deep. The sense of betrayal runs across communities who participated in the consultation process believing their voices mattered.
People are now demanding clarity. They want to see the terms of the agreement. They want an explanation for the secrecy. And they want assurance that environmental decisions will not be made behind closed doors.
Tonga still has time to show leadership, but only if it acts transparently, listens honestly, and puts the future of its people and ocean ahead of short-term corporate gain. If it fails to do so, the damage won’t just be to the seabed , it will be to the trust between a government and its people.
