Stop Harmful Deep-Sea Mining off American Samoa

Update: On October 19, 2026, the Marine Minerals Administration announced the Final Leasing Notice for an Outer Continental Shelf minerals lease sale offshore American Samoa. The Lease Sale PACM-1 is scheduled for November 19, 2026, and will offer two areas offshore American Samoa. See MMA website for more info.

Surfrider Foundation is extremely disappointed to see the Trump administration proceed with seabed mining leasing off American Samoa. Industrial mining activities will damage the marine ecosystem and threaten the economic well-being of the territory. The administration's action also contradicts unified opposition from the American Samoa Government.

The U.S. Department of Interior is evaluating a proposal to authorize harmful seabed mining in American Samoa’s 200-mile Economic Zone. This plan ignores Samoa’s Executive Order 0006-2024, which implements a moratorium on deep seabed mining exploration and exploitation activities. It also contradicts unified opposition from the American Samoa Government.

Mobilizing Opposition

The Department of Interior via the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) held a public comment period in 2025 to collect public input on the proposed first mineral lease sale in federal waters in decades. The agency is now seeking input from a wide range of voices, including American Samoa’s Indigenous community, ocean users, industry, government agencies and the general public. 

Surfrider urges our supporters and other concerned members of the public to speak out against proposed commercial seabed mining off American Samoa.

Talking points focus on potential impacts to the marine ecosystem, cultural heritage resources, fishing industries, recreation, tourism, and sustainable economic development. Comments can also highlight opposition to seabed mining from the American Samoa Government, the State of Hawaii, and members of the public.

Example talking points:

• I am very concerned about the potential authorization of seabed mining off of American Samoa.
• This practice would disregard the territory's Executive Order 0006-2024, which implements a moratorium on deep seabed mining exploration and exploitation activities. It also contradicts unified opposition from the American Samoa Government.
• Seabed mining involves industrial-scale prospecting for metals and other minerals along the ocean floor. Such activity can severely and potentially irreversibly damage marine habitats that nurture commercially and recreationally important fish, and numerous other species.
• The waters surrounding American Samoa are home to diverse marine ecosystems that provide enormous ecological value and support the economic well-being of the territory. The American Samoa economy also relies on access to healthy and productive fishing grounds, including the tuna industry.
• The deep sea waters off of American Samoa have been found to contain vibrant ecosystems, including mesophotic coral reefs, sponges and algae that support hundreds of different marine species. Their value for future scientific advances, coral restoration efforts and adaptation have yet to be fully researched and understood.
• In addition to direct physical destruction of habitat along the sea floor, seabed mining can create sediment clouds in the water column that disturb and harm sensitive marine life, including plankton, fish, whales, and dolphins.
• The waters off American Samoa have important cultural values to the Pacific Islanders who have used this region for generations. 
• Due to these reasons, I am opposed to opening this area for seabed mining.

Please visit the Federal Comment Portal for background on the comment period.