Congresswoman Uifa’atali Amata has issued a statement to correct “a misunderstanding that reopening some waters to fishing somehow may have caused the seabed mining issue. “
The statement clarifies that the two executive orders by President Trump are separate, and the president already had the authority to issue a seabed order before the fishery decision.
The Congresswoman explained, “To be clear, the fisheries decision did not open Pacific waters to seabed mining. I understand the confusion because of the timing of the two separate decisions.”
“While both decisions have U.S. and Pacific long-term security implications in preventing China’s dominance, one decision did not cause the other, nor did it have any bearing on the legality or authority of the critical minerals order.”
Uifa’atali said, “The fisheries order is a success I’ve been working for throughout my entire time in Congress, to help secure our fishing and local economy.”
She clarified “On the other hand, the critical minerals order is not something I called for at any time, nor did I endorse or advocate for it. Instead, I have many questions, and our people have many concerns and even fears. As your representative, I am calling for the DOI to sit down with ASG and answer all the many questions, as well as the public comment period that the law will require. I stand with our people, and I am actively listening in multiple town hall and roundtable discussions. I will continue hearing from you, reporting back to you, and representing your concerns to the administration.”
