Congresswoman Uifa’atali Amata stated her opposition to seabed mining in remarks on Tuesday for the Interagency Group on Insular Affairs (IGIA) held virtually with the Department of the Interior (DOI) and other federal agencies.
“At this time, the biggest concern for the people of American Samoa is the administration’s rush to deep sea mine in American Samoa’s waters,” stated Uifaatali. “We, the Samoan people, are the stewards of the ocean, not its owner nor master; and we have the responsibility and duty to future generations to protect our heritage.”
The congresswoman continued, “I remain steadfast in my opposition to the exploitation of our waters by unchecked AI drones – over the past weeks we’ve seen AI agents go rogue and hack into secure government sites – how can we trust an autonomous system from not going rogue and destroying our ocean? I ask this Department to listen to our indigenous voices and reject deep sea mining in Samoan waters.”
At the start of her remarks, she pointed out that this IGIA meeting was on the anniversary of the 2009 devastating tsunami.
She emphasized the strength and resolve of the American Samoan people in their recovery efforts, but the lasting sorrow of the loss, expressing condolences to the families.
“That tragic event is also a reminder of how important our partnership with the federal government can be, in disasters certainly, and throughout our priorities for healthcare, infrastructure, education and more,” she said.
Turning to China’s actions in the region, she said, “Earlier in the summer, Pasifika peoples watched in horror as the PLA launched a nuclear capable missile into Pacific Islands region. They did this without warning, but with a clear message – that we are all in range of their bombs. This aggressive action is an escalation from the PLA’s naval drills last summer around Australian and New Zealand. The Chinese distant water fishing fleet penetrates our EEZ and targets our fish stock.”
The Congresswoman also called for a permanent U.S. Coast Guard presence in the region, reiterated her request for our own air traffic control tower and urged support to ease cabotage rules for the Pacific territories.
She encouraged infrastructure investment broadly, especially several key needs with healthcare as a major priority, starting with the hospital, and called for administration support of territorial representatives’ bill to provide in-state tuition rates for four-year university degrees.
The congresswoman advocated that the Department of Interior, Department of Commerce and Department of Defense work together to strengthen economic and critical infrastructure capacity in American Samoa.
Finally she highlighted how her bill, the American Samoa Statutory Nationality and Citizenship Act, would streamline bureaucratic hurdles for individual U.S. Nationals from American Samoa seeking to convert to full citizenship on a personal basis.
