Oceana Condemns Fast-Tracked Deep-Sea Mining Application
Press Release Date: August 18, 2026
Location: Washington, D.C.
Contact:
Cory Gunkel | email: cgunkel@oceana.org | tel: Cory Gunkel
Oceana released the following statement in response to an announcement from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) today that it has received a complete application from The Metals Company for deep-sea mining in the Clarion-Clipperton Zone — an area in the Pacific Ocean between Hawaii and Mexico.
President Trump issued an executive order in April 2025 that ordered fast-tracked approvals for deep-sea mining. The order ignores the International Seabed Authority’s ongoing process to develop safeguards for deep-sea mining in international waters. Following this, NOAA published a final rule in January 2026 that established a consolidated exploration and commercial recovery process which limits public engagement, a major departure from the previous processes that required both activities to go through separate review. The Metals Company’s application is the first under this new rule.
“Our oceans are one step closer to catastrophe from this first-of-its kind application to extract minerals from the floor of the deep sea,” said Oceana Campaign Manager Julia Singer. “Consolidating exploration and mining into one process betrays the public’s trust and provides nothing but a rubber stamp for the destruction of the world’s waters. Deep-sea mining risks destroying an environment we are only now just beginning to understand. The U.S. government must reject this application — and any others like it — before major irreparable damage is done to the world’s oceans.”


