PWYP Coalition Urges Government to Reject Deep Sea Mining
The Publish What You Pay (PWYP) Indonesia coalition is urging the government to take a stand in support of a moratorium or rejection of deep-sea mining (DSM) activities during the 31st session of the International Seabund Authority. This global forum, under the auspices of the United Nations, is scheduled to be held in Kingston, Jamaica, from 29–31 July 2026.
This plea was delivered via an official letter to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries on Friday, 19 June 2026.
National Coordinator of PWYP Indonesia, Aryanto Nugroho, stated that approving the commercial exploitation of deep-sea mining carries the potential for significant and irreversible environmental damage.
“We are conveying this urgent plea and proposed stance as part of a community that recognises the potential threat of massive environmental destruction if deep-sea mining is approved for commercial use through the UN deliberations,” Aryanto said, as quoted from a written statement on Saturday, 20 June 2026.
Indonesia is currently a member of the ISA Council for the 2023–2026 period. This position places Indonesia as one of the nations directly involved in the discussions regarding the regulations for international seabed mineral exploitation.
A primary agenda item for the upcoming ISA meeting is the Mining Code, a set of regulations that will determine whether and how mineral exploitation through deep-sea mining activities can be legalised commercially.
According to Aryanto, the issue of deep-sea mining is no longer merely a global environmental debate but has the potential to directly impact Indonesia. PWYP, along with several civil society organisations, believes that the global mining company The Metals Company (TMC), through its affiliates, is allegedly planning to utilise Indonesia’s supply chains and smelter capacities to process polymetallic nodules mined from international waters.
“Indonesia is being targeted to become a processing hub for global seabed rocks, which carries a massive waste risk for coastal regions,” he added.
PWYP maintains that the plan to legalise DSM through the Mining Code faces widespread opposition due to its potential for ecological damage and risks of human rights violations. Various studies also indicate that the impacts of deep-sea mining could be permanent and difficult to remediate.
Referring to policy briefs from the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC), Aryanto noted that DSM activities risk destroying marine biodiversity and disturbing seabed sediment layers that function as natural carbon sinks. The disruption of these sediments could release large amounts of carbon emissions into the atmosphere.
Furthermore, deep-sea mining activities could threaten the rights to health, food, and livelihoods for coastal communities due to the risk of heavy metal pollution accumulating in fishery resources.
Through the letter sent to the government, PWYP proposed two main recommendations. First, Indonesia is requested to officially declare support for a moratorium or a precautionary pause on deep-sea mining exploitation, becoming the first nation in Asia to join the group of countries opposing the commercialisation of DSM.
Second, the government is asked to ensure high-level political representation at the 2026 ISA Council and Assembly meetings to ensure that the Mining Code is not passed in haste.
PWYP also carbon-copied the letter to the Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources and the Minister of Environment to anticipate the potential entry of deep-sea mining commodities into the domestic downstream industry supply chain.
“Amidst the climate crisis, loss of biodiversity, and environmental pollution, implementing a moratorium on deep-sea mining would be a visionary leadership legacy for future generations,” said Aryanto.