Protesters chanting “Prutehi Marianas!” and “Our islands are not for sale!” gathered outside the Governor’s Office on Friday morning as CNMI Gov. David Apatang met privately with officials from the U.S. Bureau of Ocean Energy Management to discuss proposals related to potential seabed mining in the Marianas.
The crowd — representing groups including OurCommonwealth670, Prutehi Marianas, Prutehi Guåhan, Marianas for Free Palestine, and other community advocates — held signs and repeated chants as BOEM representatives entered the building for what organizers described as unannounced and inaccessible meetings.
Mallory, a member of OurCommonwealth670, said the protest was sparked by the lack of public notice and the absence of community access to the discussions.
“We’re basically protesting because BOEM is here for secret meetings with the governor’s office,” she said. “These are publicly inaccessible, non-advertised meetings. We don’t know what the content is about. We assume it’s in regards to the proposal for deep sea mining in our waters.”
She said the concern is heightened by Apatang’s recent public comments suggesting the CNMI has islands “to be bought, to be leased,” which she said raised fears about the commodification of land and ocean resources.
“What we’re doing here today is asking for more transparency and for the governor’s office to be truthful with us about what these meetings are about,” she said. “We want public input, because right now we have no idea. We didn’t even know they were coming.”
Mallory said the coalition of groups present reflects only a fraction of the community’s opposition to seabed mining.
“OurCommonwealth670 is against any kind of seabed mining or any cultivation of resources in our ocean,” she said. “Yes, we are opposed to deep sea mining in all waters, but particularly right now in the Marianas because that is the serious threat at the moment.”
She added that the turnout should not be interpreted as limited public concern.
“This is a good group we have here, but it’s not indicative of the full opposition,” she said. “Unfortunately, the CNMI government is the number one public employer here, which creates a culture of fear. People worry that if they oppose things like deep sea mining, they’ll face retaliation or community ostracization.”
BOEM officials also met with Guam leaders on Thursday, where protesters similarly gathered outside Adelup to voice concerns about deep sea mining and the lack of public engagement.
BOEM meetings in Guam and the CNMI included discussions on next steps in its early-stage seabed mining proposal, including reviewing public comments, considering areas for potential leasing, and planning possible environmental and technical studies.
