Trump administration moves to open tens of millions of acres of Pacific seafloor to mineral exploration.

Kien eo an Trump ej kōṃṃan bwe en wōnṃaanḷọk karōk ko ñan kōpeḷḷọk jikin ko reḷḷap ijoko reṃwilaḷ tata ilo lojet kein ilo Pacific ñan kappok mineral ko. Karōk in eṃōj an kōṃṃan bwe riutiej ro ilo Guam, Northern Mariana Islands, im American Samoa ren kwaḷọk aer jab errā. Juon karōk kāāl an kien eo an U.S. enaaj kōpeḷḷọk joñan 69 million acres (28 million hectares) ilo lọjet ko remwilaḷ iturin Guam im Northern Mariana Islands ñan an koṃbani ko maroñ kappok polymetallic nodules, ko rej pād mineral ko rej kōjerbali ilo battery, kein jerbal in electronic, im kein jipañ kein jerbal ko an tariṇae.

Ritōl ro ilo Pacific rej kwaḷọk aer inepata kōn jorrāān ko ke remaroñ waḷọk ilo aer kōṃṃani jerbal kein ilo lọjet ak ṃaḷo kōn ta ko emaroñ kōṃṃani ñan menin mour ko ilo lọjet im ñan economy ko an aelōñ ko. “Kōm ej lukkuun jab errā ippān jerbal in deep-sea mining ilo jukjukun pād in ad,” Joshua Tenorio, Lieutenant Governor eo an Guam, ear ba. Governor eo an Northern Mariana Islands, David Apatang, ear ba bwe jabdewōt jerbal rōt in ej aikuj wōr etale in science ko ṃokta, meḷeḷe ko ren peḷḷọk ñan armej, im kōjparok kein jeraṃṃan ko ilo lọjet. Governor eo an American Samoa, Nikolau Pula, barāinwōt ej juon iaan ro rej jab errā ippān deep-sea mining, im ej kakkōl bwe wāween ko ñan bōk mineral jān ijoko remwilaḷ ilo lọjet, ko ejjab wōr aer kein lukkuun lale teej ko, remaroñ kauwōtata ñan jikin jerbal in tuna eo.

Karōk eo ñan Marianas ej itok ālikin juon bar karōk ñan kōpeḷḷọk 31 million acres (12.4 million hectares) in lọjet ko reṃwilaḷ iturin American Samoa ñan mining. Ilo August 19, doulul ko rej jerbal ñan kōjparok environment ilo American Samoa im Hawai‘i rar kajjitōk ippān court bwe en kabōjrak auction eo, im rar ba bwe agency ko an kien eo an U.S. rejjañin lukkuun etale jorrāān ko ke deep-sea mining emaroñ kōṃṃani ñan peḷaakin.

Riiti aolepān ripoot eo an The Guardian: “US territories hit out at Trump plan to explore deep sea mining in the Pacific.”

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Official BOEM CNMI mining proposal and maps
Official BOEM American Samoa mining proposal and maps

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The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management has expanded the area in the CNMI under consideration to roughly 68 million acres, with areas both east and west of the Mariana Islands. This was advanced to a Proposed Leasing Notice on August 17, 2026, and its current CNMI page provides the official proposed lease-area map and GIS data. For American Samoa, the current proposal contains two lease areas totaling about 31.5 million acres: Lease Area 1 at approximately 16.33 million acres and Lease Area 2 at 15.17 million acres. The official map shows the proposed areas relationship to Tutuila, the Manuʻa Islands, Rose Atoll, and protected marine areas. BOEM issued the Proposed Leasing Notice for American Samoa on July 16.

The Trump administration is moving forward with plans to open vast areas of Pacific seabed to deep-sea mineral exploration, drawing opposition from leaders in Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands and American Samoa. A new federal proposal would auction leases covering about 69 million acres (28 million hectares) of seafloor near Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands, where companies could explore for polymetallic nodules containing minerals used in batteries, electronics and defense technologies.

Pacific leaders are raising concerns about potential damage to marine ecosystems and island economies. “We’re unequivocally opposed to the deep sea mining efforts in this region,” said Guam’s lieutenant governor, Joshua Tenorio. Northern Mariana Islands Gov. David Apatang said any activity should require scientific baseline studies, transparency and protections for marine resources. American Samoa Gov. Nikolau Pula has also opposed deep-sea mining, warning that untested extraction methods could threaten the territory’s tuna industry.

The Marianas proposal follows a separate process to lease 31 million acres (12.4 million hectares) of American Samoa’s seafloor. Environmental groups in American Samoa and Hawai‘i filed a lawsuit against the U.S. government on Aug. 19 seeking to stop that auction, arguing federal agencies have not adequately evaluated the potential environmental consequences of seabed mining.

Read the full report from The Guardian: “US territories hit out at Trump plan to explore deep sea mining in the Pacific.”