Community Update: Seabed Mining
On January 27, the United States released a Request for Information on potential lease areas for seabed mining, including Gulf of Alaska Seamounts, such as the Kodiak-Bowie Seamount Chain.
The US Bureau of Oceans Energy Management has launched a public comment period, which closes on Monday, March 2nd, 2026.
The Council of the Haida Nation will be submitting formal comments and urges Haida citizens, and Haida Gwaii residents to add their voices.
If you would like more information on how you can submit comments, or would like to include your comments in the CHN’s submission, please contact info@haidanation.com
Seabed Mining Background:
The Haida Nation has had a long-standing Moratorium on Offshore Oil and Gas Exploration, and Seabed mining in Haida Territory since 2000.
SG̲áan - K̲ínghlas - Bowie Seamount MPA was designated as an X̲aads siigee tl’a dámaan tl’a k̲ínggiigangs Haida Marine Protected Area in 1997, to protect this culturally and ecologically important collection of under-water volcanos.
SG̲áan - K̲ínghlas - Bowie Seamount MPA, Hodgkins, and Pierce/Davidson seamounts are part of a larger chain of seamounts extending northwestward into the Gulf of Alaska.
Seamounts are deeply interconnected, through ocean currents, eddies, marine mammals and fish, including Kún | Kun humpback whales, X̲aaguu | X̲aguu halibut spawning areas, sk̲íl | sk̲il black cod; as well as through sub-sea water flow connections known as hydrothermal recharge-discharge.
The closest potential mineral lease area is within 33 km away from SG̲áan - K̲ínghlas - Bowie Seamount MPA. The area of potential impact can extend 100s of kms, including sediment plumes, wastewater pollution and underwater noise.
Sea-bed mining impacts include sediment plumes smothering habitat-forming corals and sponges, direct destruction of habitats, and disturbances to the food web at all levels, including plankton, invertebrates, fish, and migratory whales.
Seabed Mining Timeline:
February 9, 2023 – Canada released a statement on seabed mining, affirming commitments to not authorizing any seabed mining without strong understanding of the impacts of seabed mining operations on the ocean environments and a rigorous regulatory framework. Canada also affirmed their support for the ISA Sea-bed mining Regulatory Framework negotiations.
July 10, 2023 – Canada released a statement on their position on seabed mining in areas beyond national jurisdiction, and reaffirmed their position on commercial seabed mining within Canada’s Exclusive Economic Zone.
February 3, 2025 – US Department of the Interior Secretarial Order 3417: Addressing the National Energy Emergency.” Among other stipulations, the order states: All Bureaus and Offices of the Department of the Interior … will identify the emergency authorities available to them, as well as all other legal authorities, to facilitate the identification, permitting, leasing, development, production, transportation, refining, distribution, exporting, and generation of domestic energy resources and critical minerals including, but not limited to, on Federal lands and the Outer Continental Shelf.
April 24, 2025 – United States Executive Order 14285 Unleashing America’s Offshore Critical Minerals and Resources to expedite the process for reviewing and issuing exploration licenses and commercial recovery permits under DSHMRA, consistent with applicable law, to “ensure efficiency, predictability, and competitiveness for American companies.”
June 5, 2025 – West Coast Environmental Law published an explainer outlining the impacts of the United States Executive Order’s potential for undermining international ocean governance, such as the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) and the International Seabed Authority (ISA)
July - September, 2025 - National Oceans and Atmospheric Administration began an amendment process to support the implementation of the Executive Order 14285 to be accomplished within 60 days of the order, removing the two-stage sequential application process into a consolidated application.
January 21, 2026 – National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration announced revisions to the regulations under the Deep Seabed Hard Mineral Resource Act (DSHMRA) to streamline the deep seabed mining permitting framework.
January 29, 2026 - United States Bureau for Oceans Energy Management opened a 30-day Request for Information on potential mineral lease areas.
February 4, 2026 – CHN SK̲-B Management Board Members, Dan McNeill and Lisa Hageman met with DFO Management Board Member to discuss concerns related to the potential impacts of sea-bed mining at the Gulf of Alaska Seamounts on the co-managed Protected Area.
Resources and Links:
Information on the Potential Mineral Lease Areas
United States of America’s Directives and Legislation
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Deep Seabed Hard Mineral Resource Act Amendment Process
Canada’s Positions on Seabed Mining
Canada’s Statements on Seabed Mining (February 2023): https://www.canada.ca/en/natural-resources-canada/news/2023/02/statement-on-seabed-mining.html
Canada’s position on seabed mining in areas beyond national jurisdiction (July, 2023): https://www.canada.ca/en/global-affairs/news/2023/07/canadas-position-on-seabed-mining-in-areasbeyond-national-jurisdiction.html
West Coast Environmental Law Blog
What’s at stake in deep sea mining? An explainer (July, 2025): https://www.wcel.org/blog/whats-stakedeep-sea-mining-explainer