Read the latest news from regional and global sources, presenting different voices and perspectives.
Trump Administration Eyes Deep-Sea Mining Near American Samoa Amid Push For Critical Minerals
Benzinga
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The Donald Trump administration is making plans that could set the stage for deep-sea mining off the coast of American Samoa. The move comes after an executive order from President Donald Trump aimed at quickening access to critical seabed...
Interior begins process for offshore mineral lease sale near American Samoa
Talanei
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May 20, 2025
The Department of the Interior announced Tuesday it is initiating the process to evaluate a potential mineral lease sale in the waters offshore American Samoa. This marks the first such action by Interior in over 30 years and could pave the way...
Trump administration will evaluate request to sell leases for seabed mining near American Samoa
Hawaii Public Radio
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May 21, 2025
The Trump administration said Wednesday that it will consider selling leases to extract minerals from the seabed off the South Pacific island of American Samoa, a potential first step in a wider industry push to allow deep-sea mining that...
U.S. Launches First Deep-Sea Mineral Lease Evaluation in 30 Years Near American Samoa
gCaptain
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May 21, 2025
The Department of Interior has initiated its first mineral lease sale evaluation in over 30 years, targeting deep-sea critical minerals in waters offshore American Samoa. This groundbreaking move comes as part of President Trump’s broader strategy...
Seabed mining plan near American Samoa advances
Honolulu Star-Advertiser - Hawaii
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May 21, 2025
HOUSE COMMITTEE ON NATURAL RESOURCES VIA THE NEW YORK TIMES In an image provided by the government, Oliver Gunasekara, chief executive of Impossible Metals, testifies before the House Committee on Natural Resources, in Washington on April 29....
BOEM Plans Deep-Sea Mining Lease Sale Off American Samoa
The Maritime Executive
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After a request from U.S. deep sea mining startup Impossible Minerals and a new executive order from President Donald Trump, the U.S. Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) has launched the process to hold a mineral lease sale for polymetallic...
Interior Launches Process for Potential Offshore Mineral Lease Sale Near American Samoa
Arizona Free Press
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WASHINGTON — Advancing President Donald J. Trump's strategic focus on domestic critical mineral development, the Department of the Interior today announced it is initiating the process to evaluate a potential mineral lease sale in the waters...
Reopening U.S. Fishing Grounds: What it means for American Samoa
Samoa News
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May 19, 2025
PAGO PAGO, AMERICAN SAMOA — In light of ongoing public discussion regarding the reopening of certain U.S. Pacific fishing grounds, the American Samoa Government (ASG) is issuing this release to clarify key facts, address misconceptions, and...
Caution called for on Pacific Garbage Patch cleanup
Samoa News
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June 13, 2025
Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — An expert says there is pushback from environmental groups when it comes to cleaning up the Great Pacific Garbage Patch. Bradley Nolan, waste management adviser at the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment...
ASG requesting $15Mil financial assistance from local ARPA Office
Samoa News
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June 13, 2025
Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — The American Samoa Government has requested $15 million from the Office of the American Samoa Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) in financial assistance due to financial uncertainties resulting from internal and external fiscal...
Trump’s move to fast-track deep-sea mining poses serious ecological, climate risks
Green Left
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May 31, 2025
Transnational companies, finding an ally in United States President Donald Trump and his extractivist agenda, are pushing to mine the seafloor for valuable minerals — despite widespread concerns about the potential ecological and climate impacts....
‘Voices of the Pacific’ is our story, a call for action on impact of plastic pollution on Pacific communities
Island Times
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May 30, 2025
APIA (SPREP) — “Voices of the Pacific”, a film which spotlights the profound impact of plastic waste, sourced from foreign countries and choking our Ocean’s arteries, earned widespread applause from Pacific countries following its world premiere...
‘Wrong Move at the Wrong Time’: Trump’s Pacific Monument Fishing Reversal Raises Alarm For Biodiversity and Island Nations
Earth.Org
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May 27, 2025
Drastically reversing prior marine protections, US President Donald Trump recently signed a proclamation opening the Pacific Remote Islands Marine National Monument (PRIMNM) to commercial fishing. Conservationists are worried this move will erase...
New report alleges Impossible Metals’ claims are scientifically baseless
Samoa News
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June 12, 2025
Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA [Monday, 9 June 2025, 8:23 pm] — A new report launched today reveals that the deep sea mining plans of California-based company Impossible Metals pose serious environmental risks, despite the company’s claims of...
Local fishing fleet appeals to StarKist for a partnership of co-operation
Samoa News
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June 12, 2025
Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — The Tautai-O-Samoa Longline & Fishing Association president, Krista Haleck, has penned her disappointment with StarKist Samoa following a recent meeting with the company’s procurement team. The June 3, 2025, letter was...
New fellowship tackles climate issues on Guam, other US territories
The Guam Daily Post
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A new fellowship program aims to empower organizations and leaders across U.S. territories to address the unique challenges where climate change intersects with limited democratic representation. Right to Democracy, a nonprofit organization...
Trump has opened the deep sea for business, risking fragile environments we know nothing about
Salon
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May 21, 2025
When the submarine plunged to about 1,500 meters below sea level, ecologist Jeff Drazen asked the pilots to cut the strobe lights that had been guiding them through the pitch-black waters. For a moment, they continued falling to the sea floor in...
Ocean is not a resource to exploit…it’s part of our identity as Samoans
Talanei
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June 11, 2025
At the meeting of the Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council in Honolulu on Monday, a statement opposing deepsea mining in American Samoan waters was presented by Utumapu Dr. Andrew Pati Ah Young. Utumapu has a PhD in Biological...
Pacific Tourism Organisation Board Approves Key Resolutions to Strengthen Regional Tourism Governance and Sustainability
Pacific Tourism Organisation
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May 19, 2025
The Pacific Tourism Organisation (SPTO) Board of Directors convened this week to deliberate on strategic and operational matters critical to the effective management of the organisation and the sustainable development of tourism in the region....
Military bill neglects Hawaii’s needs, Case says
Honolulu Star-Advertiser - Hawaii
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June 13, 2025
U.S. Rep. Ed Case is blasting military appropriation legislation that is moving through the House of Representatives as “shortchanging” priorities critical to Hawaii, including environmental cleanup and military infrastructure. On Wednesday,...