The Episcopal Conference of the Pacific (CEPAC) has issued a pastoral statement calling for extreme caution as commercial deep-sea mining proposals gain momentum across the region. Signed on August 10 by CEPAC President Archbishop Ryan P. Jimenez of Agaña, the statement urges decision-makers to act with wisdom, humility, and transparency before opening fragile marine ecosystems to commercial exploitation.
The prelates highlighted growing concerns as vast areas of the Pacific seabed—including 33 million acres around American Samoa and regions near the Mariana Trench Marine National Monument—are currently being considered for commercial leasing. Drawing on Catholic social teaching and the traditional heritage of Pacific peoples, the bishops emphasized that the Earth’s natural resources belong not just to the present generation, but must be protected for those to come.
Crucially, the statement stresses that the deep ocean remains one of the least understood ecosystems on the planet, meaning potential long-term damage could prove irreversible. Invoking the precautionary principle, the bishops warned that a lack of complete scientific certainty should never be used as an excuse to move forward without proper care, expressing hope that their generation will be remembered for what it protected rather than what it extracted.