Trump now auctioning America’s ocean floor off Samoa, 31 million acres up for grabs despite fury

The Trump administration has finalized plans to auction off deep-sea mining leases covering 31 million acres near American Samoa, marking the first such auction in U.S. history, despite strong opposition from local and environmental groups.

With bidding set for November, the move is positioned as critical for securing minerals vital for energy and national defense.

The auction has sparked controversy due to environmental concerns and local resistance, given the area's ecological significance and proximity to the Rose Atoll marine sanctuary.

Critics, including American Samoa's governor and multiple organizations, have voiced concerns about the potential environmental impact of deep-sea mining.

WASHINGTON, Oct 20 — President Donald Trump’s administration on Monday announced it had finalised a deep-sea mining auction off the coast of American Samoa, the first in the United States’ history, despite widespread opposition from locals and environmental groups.

The lease sales will cover approximately 31 million acres over two areas off the US Pacific archipelago, with bidding set for November 19.

“Critical minerals are no longer just commodities; they are a vital strategic asset in global competition, essential for reaching our energy efficiency goals, strengthening our national defence, and securing domestic supply chains,” said Mike Olsen, acting director for the Marine Minerals Administration (MMA), which falls under the Interior Department, in a statement.

“MMA recognises the ocean floor surrounding American Samoa carries cultural, economic, and environmental significance, requiring that the pursuit of national security and energy readiness is balanced with rigorous environmental stewardship,” he added.

The sale follows an April 2025 executive order in which Trump called leadership in deep-sea science and technology “a core national security and economic interest,” and a request by US firm Impossible Metals to open leasing off the territory, which lies east of the independent nation of Samoa.

Mining companies want to scour the ocean’s abyssal plains for polymetallic nodules laden with nickel, copper and cobalt. Critics fear irreversible damage, with plumes of waste smothering marine life and the thrum of heavy machinery disrupting migrations.

American Samoa banned deep-sea mining in its territorial waters in 2024, but the auction concerns the federally controlled Outer Continental Shelf beyond that limit.

In a public comment submitted in September 2026 about the auction, American Samoa Governor Pulaali’i Nikolao Pula said he “does not support commercial deep-sea mineral extraction at this time” but acknowledged the final decision rests with the US government.

“These lease sales will open the floodgates to the exploitation of our deep seas,” said Oceana Defense Campaign Manager Julia Singer.

“The message from American Samoa, and people across the United States, could not be clearer: stop deep-sea mining before it starts. Thousands of scientists, local leaders, and community members have warned of the danger that deep-sea mining poses, yet the Trump administration is continuing to ignore widespread opposition to this proposal. The US government should defend the deep, not fast-track its destruction.”

The area borders the vast Rose Atoll marine sanctuary, where endangered species of hawksbill turtle thrive on vibrant reefs. — AFP

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尽管遭到当地民众和环保组织的强烈反对，特朗普政府仍最终敲定了拍卖美属萨摩亚附近 3100 万英亩深海采矿租约的计划，这将是美国历史上首次此类拍卖。

竞标将于 11 月进行，此举对于确保对能源和国防至关重要的矿产资源至关重要。

鉴于该地区的生态意义以及与玫瑰环礁海洋保护区的距离，此次拍卖引发了环境方面的担忧和当地居民的反对，造成了争议。

包括美属萨摩亚州长和多个组织在内的批评人士对深海采矿可能造成的环境影响表示担忧。

华盛顿，10 月 20 日——尽管遭到当地居民和环保组织的广泛反对，唐纳德·特朗普总统的政府周一宣布，已最终敲定在美属萨摩亚海岸附近进行的深海采矿拍卖，这是美国历史上首次进行此类拍卖。

此次租赁销售将涵盖美国太平洋群岛附近两个区域约 3100 万英亩的土地，竞标定于 11 月 19 日举行。

“关键矿产不再仅仅是商品；它们是全球竞争中至关重要的战略资产，对于实现我们的能源效率目标、加强国防和保障国内供应链至关重要，”隶属于内政部的海洋矿产管理局 (MMA) 代理局长迈克·奥尔森在一份声明中表示。

“MMA 认识到美属萨摩亚周围的海底具有文化、经济和环境意义，因此，在追求国家安全和能源战备的同时，必须严格遵守环境保护原则，”他补充道。

此次出售是在特朗普于 2025 年 4 月签署的一项行政命令之后进行的，该命令称深海科学和技术的领导地位是“国家安全和经济的核心利益”，此前美国公司 Impossible Metals 曾要求开放租赁位于独立国家萨摩亚东部的这片海域。

矿业公司希望在深海平原上搜寻富含镍、铜和钴的多金属结核。批评人士担心这将造成不可逆转的破坏，例如排放的废料会窒息海洋生物，重型机械的轰鸣声会扰乱它们的迁徙路线。

美属萨摩亚于 2024 年禁止在其领海内进行深海采矿，但此次拍卖涉及联邦政府控制的、超出该限制范围的外大陆架。

在 2026 年 9 月提交的一份关于此次拍卖的公开评论中，美属萨摩亚总督普拉利·尼古拉奥·普拉表示，他“目前不支持商业深海矿产开采”，但他承认最终决定权在于美国政府。

“这些租赁权出售将打开深海资源遭到过度开发的闸门，”海洋保护组织 Oceana 的防务活动经理 Julia Singer 说。

“来自美属萨摩亚以及全美各地人民的信息再明确不过：在深海采矿开始之前就应该停止。成千上万的科学家、地方领导人和社区成员都曾警告过深海采矿的危险性，但特朗普政府却继续无视公众对这项提议的广泛反对。美国政府应该保护深海，而不是加速破坏它。”

该区域毗邻广袤的玫瑰环礁海洋保护区，濒危物种玳瑁在生机勃勃的珊瑚礁中繁衍生息。——法新社

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