Climate

US stakes competing claims to Pacific seabed mining areas, challenging UN authority

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Based on a feed excerpt; full article content has not been acquired. Source evidence retrieved 10/11/2026, 19:39:24 UTC.

Briefings

A Mongabay investigation by Elizabeth Claire Alberts and Andrés Alegría reveals the United States is challenging the UN's International Seabed Authority (ISA) by filing mineral exploration claims in the Clarion-Clipperton Zone of the Pacific Ocean. The U.S. cites domestic laws rather than the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), which the ISA relies on for its authority. This action complicates the ISA's ability to grant permits, as the U.S. has not ratified UNCLOS and is not a member of the ISA. The legal implications and potential environmental fallout remain largely unknown, with the ISA currently seeking external legal counsel to address the situation.

Key points

• The United States is filing mineral exploration claims in the Clarion-Clipperton Zone of the Pacific Ocean, challenging the International Seabed Authority's (ISA) jurisdiction over the area.
• The U.S. cites domestic laws instead of UNCLOS, which the ISA relies on for its authority, creating potential legal complications for the ISA's operations.

Context

The Clarion-Clipperton Zone is a regulated swath of the Pacific Ocean where the ISA oversees seabed mining permits. The U.S. is challenging this authority by receiving and reviewing applications of some companies, citing U.S. laws rather than UNCLOS. This situation complicates the ISA's ability to grant permits, as the U.S. has not ratified UNCLOS and is not a member of the ISA.

Limitations

The legal implications and potential environmental fallout remain largely unknown. The ISA itself is currently seeking external legal counsel to address the situation, and the article notes that there are 'a lot of unknowns about what will happen.' Specific dates for the claim filings are not provided in the source evidence.

Generated by Bittrees-hosted qwen35-2b sha256:aaf42c8b7c3c on 10/11/2026, 19:40:50 UTC. Based on publisher-provided feed evidence; may not cover the full original article. Check the source for details.

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