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Washington, DC (November 16, 2022) – Greenpeace activists from Mexico and Aotearoa (New Zealand) peacefully confronted a deep sea mining ship off the coast of Manzanillo, México as it returned to port from the Pacific on November 16. Activists protested in a kayak, holding banners that read “Stop Deep Sea Mining.”
Greenpeace Aotearoa campaigner James Hita, onboard a small vessel off the Manzanillo coast, delivered a message to the captain of the deep sea mining ship – Hidden Gem – via radio highlighting the threat the industry poses to the health of the ocean on which we all depend, and the lives and livelihood of Pacific People whose communities are on the frontline of the activity. He called on the company to immediately cease its activities and for “world leaders to be bold and ambitious and call for a halt to deep sea mining to protect the marine environment.”
The Hidden Gem drill ship, commissioned by Canadian miner The Metals Company (TMC), was returning from eight weeks of test mining in the Clarion Clipperton Zone between México and Hawaii. One of the biggest vessels of its type in the world, the ship has reportedly mined and lifted on board 3,000 tonnes of polymetallic nodules from the seafloor in a trial that could pave the way for full-scale commercial mining.
Hita said: “We are here today because deep sea mining threatens the health of the ocean and the lives and livelihoods of all who depend on it. The ocean is home to over 50% of life on Earth and one of our biggest allies in fighting the climate crisis. We will not stand by while mining companies begin to plunder the seafloor for profit.”
“Our message is clear: deep sea mining will not be tolerated. The movement led by Indigenous communities in the Pacific opposing this destructive industry grows stronger every day and now includes thousands of people around the world, an increasing number of civil society groups, and governments calling for a halt to deep sea mining. It cannot be allowed to go any further.”
TMC’s trial was greenlit by the International Seabed Authority (ISA), an independent UN agency charged with protecting the ocean as the common heritage of humankind, under a non-transparent process that has been questioned by scientists. The ISA itself has also faced criticism for its lack of transparency and close relationships with would-be mining companies, including TMC.
Delegates from across the world recently gathered at the ISA in Kingston, Jamaica to continue negotiation of the rules that would govern the industry, which could start operations as early as July 2023. The negotiations will continue in March and July next year. TMC has said it plans to apply for a deep sea mining license in 2023.
Aleira Lara, Campaigns Director of Greenpeace México, said: “The Clarion Clipperton Zone, where The Metals Company is conducting mining tests, is close to México. If deep sea mining is allowed on a commercial scale, it could have very dangerous implications for our country and the marine ecosystems around us. We are very concerned about this. The planet and communities are already suffering the consequences of the climate crisis and biodiversity loss. We do not need a new extractive industry that would only make things worse. For us, it is very important that our government sees these potential risks and positions itself as a regional and global leader against deep sea mining.”
Deep sea mining involves large machinery sucking up minerals from the deep and transferring them to mining ships, a process that produces a large sediment plume and which scientists fear could potentially smother ocean life, threaten people’s way of life, and add to the climate crisis.
The global Greenpeace network has urged states opposed to the start of deep sea mining to work together in the coming months and find legal ways to ensure that this destructive industry is not allowed to start. To date, the governments of Palau, Samoa, Fiji, Micronesia, Chile, and New Zealand have all declared backing for a moratorium, while Germany backs a ‘precautionary pause’ and French President Macron recently called for an outright ban at the latest session of COP27 in Egypt.
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Radio message transcript between Greenpeace Aotearoa campaigner James Hita and the Hidden Gem captain can be found here.
Contacts:
Cécile Génot, Global Media Lead for the Stop Deep Sea Mining Campaign, Greenpeace International: [email protected], +33 (0)6 30 23 52 78
Nick Young, Head of Communications, Greenpeace Aotearoa: [email protected], +52 31 4181 1730
Dana Olguín, Communications Coordinator, Greenpeace México, [email protected], +52 55 4084 5320
Tanya Brooks, Greenpeace USA Senior Communications Specialist, +1 (703) 342 9226, [email protected]
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