The Marshall Islands has joined a growing number of nations saying “no” to deep sea mining.
At the Oceans Conference last week in Nice, France, President Hilda Heine announced that the RMI would join the countries calling for a moratorium on all deep sea mining, bringing the number to 37.
Four other nations — Luxembourg, Slovenia, Cyprus and Latvia — joined the Marshall Islands in the initiative that began in 2022.
Twelve countries kicked off the call for a moratorium on deep sea mining in 2022, including Palau, Federated States of Micronesia, Samoa and New Zealand in the region.
“We are championing a moratorium on deep sea mining within our waters, underscoring our belief that the ocean’s depths are not commodities to be exploited before we even understand them,” Heine told the UN Oceans Conference in Nice.
The President called for the Pacific to be a “global laboratory for ocean innovation,” citing the enormous potential for low-emission fisheries, community-led marine protected areas, and sustainable tuna supply chains. President Heine also called for ambitious climate action, including on fossil fuels, to protect the oceans.