Hawaii residents cautious about Deep Sea Mining in Pacific Ocean
Hawaii's largest news gatherer, Honolulu Star Advertiser, has launched a poll on US president Donald Trump's decision to open deep sea mining in the Pacific Ocean.
Trump's announcement was made via an Executive Order last week, in defiance of the international UN regulator, which called the move a breach of international law.
Trump is seeking to counter China's dominance in the global metals and mining industry, as his administration continues its trade war with the asian country.
The area with the most minerals being sought for defence manufacturing, green technologies, and AI data centres are in a region of the Pacific Ocean between Hawaii and Mexico.
The Honolulu Star-Advertiser has asked its readers to weigh in, with the question:
Do you favour the US expediting deep-sea mining for rare earth minerals with three options for a response:
A. Yes, fast-track seabed mining
B. No, global environmental regulations needed
C. Not sure, need to learn more
With 556 respondents to the unscientific poll so far, it's a firm no from reader respondents with B above getting 66 percent of the vote.
25 percent of respondents so far agree with the move to open up deep sea mining, while 7 percent think they need more information.
The poll is unscientific but readers must sign in to reply.
On social platform Meta, respondents were quite vocal:
Hawaii is part of the non contiguous United States and its coast lines are about 2000 miles (the closest of any inhabited land) from the most mineral rich area of the Pacific called the Clarion-Clipperton Zone (CCZ).
In 2020, scientists from the University of Hawaii documented the highest number of fishes ever recorded at one time in an expedition to the ocean floor of the CCZ. They were surprised to find the fishes in such large numbers at such depths, lending further credence to detractors of deep sea mining who say the extent of marine life in this area is still unknown and should not be disturbed.
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