At the meeting of the Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council in Honolulu on Monday, a statement opposing deep-sea mining in American Samoan waters was presented by Utumapu Dr. Andrew Pati Ah Young.
Utumapu has a PhD in Biological Chemistry from UCLA and trained as an Immunologist during a postdoctoral fellowship at Genentech. He is currently the Director of Discovery Biology at a biotech company in San Francisco.
The U.S. Department of Interior and Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) gave a presentation at the Council meeting regarding the lease request by U.S. company Impossible Metals to conduct exploration and potential mining of critical minerals in the deep sea off the coast of American Samoa.
Utumapu said, “On behalf of the people of American Samoa, we respectfully express our unequivocal opposition to the lease request by Impossible Metals and to any deep-sea mining within American Samoa’s Exclusive Economic Zone. This is not a resistance to clean energy and economic progress, but a stand grounded in science, cultural responsibility, and historical lessons.
Utumapu pointed to scientific studies which have shown that deep-sea mining causes serious, often irreversible, harm to marine ecosystems:
- A 2020 Japanese study found a 43% drop in fish density from sediment plumes.
- In the U.S., the Blake Plateau remains unrecovered 44 years after test mining, prompting a moratorium through 2032.
- Experts testified before Congress this year, warning that deep-sea mining, plumes and unknown long-term impacts, could devastate biodiversity well beyond dedicated mining zones.
He also pointed to the case of Nauru, “where unregulated mining left the land uninhabitable and the economy collapsed.”
Utumapu highlighted the cultural connection of Samoans to the ocean:
“Culturally, the ocean is not a resource to exploit—it is part of our Fa’asinomaga, our identity as Samoans. Our ancestral practice of Fa’asao, or conservation, is incompatible with destructive commercial mining. To proceed without understanding the consequences severs our connection to the ocean and future generations.”
Utumapu called on the Council to:
- Reject all lease or permit applications for seabed mining in American Samoa’s waters;
- Uphold the moratorium enacted by Governor Lemanu;
- Ensure that BOEM and DOI fully consult with the people and Government ofAmerican Samoa;
- Prioritize science, culture, and ecological stewardship in all decisions.
Along with his statement Utumapu submitted a 44-page document which he prepared with Dr. Sabrina Mahuka, founder of the local non-profit organization Finafinau, and Exita Lealofi, Communities in Schools-Tacoma Coordinator. It includes the petition by Finafinau opposing the lease application by Impossible Metals that has been signed by over 600 people and over 40 organizations, the executive order by former Governor Lemanu placing a moratorium on seabed mining in local waters, and letters from former Governor Lolo to Governor Pula’ali’i and Congresswoman Uifa’atali opposing deep-sea mining.
Utumapu told KHJ News that Taulapapa Will Sword, who’s Chairman of the Council, asked BOEM whether they have engaged with the Samoan community, noting that doing so is important. Sword also referred to the petition opposing deep-sea mining.
According to Utumapu, BOEM’s response was that they’ll reach out to the Governor’s office to schedule a public hearing with the American Samoa community.
