International Seabed Authority
Coverage of International Seabed Authority in the Nexus archive.
- French Polynesia objects to an American seabed mining plan made without its input
French Polynesia plans to challenge an American startup's seabed mining proposal in waters near its borders due to lack of consultation. The U.S. company American Deep Sea Minerals seeks permits to mine international waters surrounded by French Polynesia, the Cook Islands, and Kiribati, prompting concerns about environmental impact and international law. The Trump administration bypassed international regulations to fast-track U.S.-led seabed mining permits, drawing global criticism.
- A Bay Area financial analyst wants a piece of this mineral-rich seabed surrounded by three Pacific nations
An American startup seeks to mine international waters near French Polynesia, Cook Islands, and Kiribati under Trump administration approval, bypassing international law. The Trump administration uses a Carter-era law to permit mining, while the UN negotiates a treaty to govern deep sea mining, facing environmental and Indigenous concerns.
- Deep Sea Mining and the Logic of Contracting Around the Commons
The U.S. and Japan signed a Memorandum of Cooperation on deep-sea mineral resource development, bypassing the International Seabed Authority (ISA) which governs the deep seabed under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). The U.S., not a UNCLOS signatory, relies on its 1980 Deep Seabed Hard Mineral Resources Act, while Japan reaffirmed its commitment to the ISA process. The agreement raises questions about UNCLOS's viability as countries seek to exploit deep-sea resources.