By Bryan Manabat
bryan@mvariety.com
Variety News Staff
MORE than 1,000 residents of Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands have signed a petition urging federal officials to halt any plans for deep-sea mining in the waters surrounding the Mariana Trench, citing environmental, cultural and political concerns.
The petition responds directly to a Request for Information issued by the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, which is seeking public input on whether the federal government should consider permitting deep-sea mineral exploration in the Exclusive Economic Zone of the Mariana Islands. The RFI opened a public comment period through Jan. 12, prompting a wave of community mobilization across the region.
Organized by the Friends of the Mariana Trench Monument and the Micronesia Climate Change Alliance, the petition will be submitted before the deadline. Organizers said most signatures came from residents of Guam, the CNMI and other island communities.
In a letter addressed to Guam Sen. Therese Terlaje, petitioners said deep-sea mining poses “permanent environmental damage” to one of the world’s most ecologically significant ocean regions. They argued that the federal government is advancing seabed mineral extraction in the Pacific without “meaningful participation” from Indigenous communities who depend on the ocean for cultural identity, subsistence and economic stability.
“The push for deep seabed mining in the waters of American Samoa and the Mariana Islands is a stark reminder of the limited power the people who live in U.S. territories have to make decisions that directly impact our lives, land, waters and future,” the letter states.
Organizers said the issue reflects a broader pattern of federal decision-making in U.S. territories, where residents lack voting representation in Congress and have limited influence over federal agencies. The petition describes the situation as “a matter of justice and solidarity among peoples under racist, undemocratic, colonial rule.”
Environmental groups warn that deep-sea mining could disrupt fragile ecosystems, threaten biodiversity and undermine climate resilience efforts. Petitioners also argue that if seabed minerals are considered essential to a transition away from fossil fuels, island communities should receive equal investment in renewable energy and climate adaptation.
The petition calls for an immediate halt to any federal plans and urges “inclusive, community-led decision-making” that ensures island residents share in any benefits — not only the risks — of major resource proposals.
Organizers said they will continue collecting signatures until the federal comment period closes.
Bryan Manabat was a liberal arts student of Northern Marianas College where he also studied criminal justice. He is the recipient of the NMI Humanities Award as an Outstanding Teacher (Non-Classroom) in 2013, and has worked for the CNMI Motheread/Fatheread Literacy Program as lead facilitator.
