The Metals Company has announced it will apply for a deep sea mining permit under United States national mining regulations from the 1980s. This announcement came moments before their investor call and the day before their commercial mining application was due to be discussed at the ISA, knowing they would fail to get a clear pathway for it and trying to mitigate the harm to their business.[1]
In response, Louisa Casson, senior campaigner for Greenpeace International, said: "This is another of The Metals Company's pathetic ploys and an insult to multilateralism. It shows that a moratorium on deep sea mining is more urgently needed than ever. It also proves that the company's CEO Gerard Barron's plans never focused on solutions for the climate catastrophe. As Greenpeace said at the very start of this ISA meeting, The Metals Company is desperate and now is encouraging a breach of customary international law by announcing their intent to mine the international seabed through the United States' Deep Sea Hard Mineral Resources Act."[2 [3]
"This comes after The Metals Company has spent years exerting immense pressure on the International Seabed Authority to try and force governments to allow mining in the international seabed - the common heritage of humankind. States, civil society, scientists, companies, and Indigenous communities continue to resist these efforts. Having tried and failed to pressure the international community to meet their demands, this reckless announcement is a slap in the face to international cooperation."
Shiva Gounden, Head of Pacific at Greenpeace Australia Pacific, said the move was a "kick in the guts" for the Pacific and threatens multilateralism:
"TMC is showing its true colours - greedy, dangerous and desperate. It's crystal clear that TMC has never cared about economic prosperity or jobs for the people of Nauru, Kiribati or Tonga, nor did it ever care about addressing the climate crisis. TMC has only ever cared about one thing: filling its own pockets with money made at the expense of our Pacific lifeblood - the ocean. The Pacific is not a commodity; the deep sea mining industry is pushing to exploit Pacific resources and communities for profit - it can't keep happening.
"This move risks leaving Nauru, Kiribati and Tonga high and dry, and is an insult to multilateralism. TMC has been trying to pressure the international community to meet its demands at the ISA, pressuring and manipulating Pacific governments with the promise of a brighter, greener future. Now the facade has crumbled, and TMC leaves behind a trail of broken promises."
"Deep sea mining is in trouble. TMC may be taking the first chance it gets to turn its back on Nauru, and is taking any avenue to push through their desperate and dying agenda, in this case, even if it could breach international law. Desperation breeds deceit, and TMC has never been more desperate."
Louisa Casson continued:
"We call on the international community to rise and defend multilateralism against rogue actors like TMC. The international seabed is the common heritage of humankind, and no state should take unilateral action to exploit it. To stop this industry, governments must move quickly towards enacting a moratorium."
"This action perpetuates the reckless race for resources, the consequences of which are known to be disastrous across the world. The Pacific is not real estate to be bought, sold, or stolen."
