join in calling for a moratorium on deep-sea mining
For the past three years, our participants have been advocating at the International Seabed Authority, which under an international treaty, has jurisdiction over any mining on the high seas.
Why?
The deep sea is our sacred place of creation. It is our country, it is our home. Our ancestors have lived in harmony with the ocean for thousands of years, respecting its power and abundance while recognizing our place within it. We have developed a deep spiritual connection to the ocean, and it is an integral part of our daily lives. It is the source of our food, our recreation, and our cultural practices. In conversations to mine the deep sea, there's no consideration that we come from this space. It's about extraction, with no regard for culture.
We stand together and call for a moratorium on deep-sea mining.
Solomon Kahoʻohalahala, Ekolu Lindsey (Hawaiʻi), and Hinano Murphy (Tahiti) at an ISA meeting in Jamaica.