PWYP Coalition Urges Government to Reject Deep Sea Mining

The Publish What You Pay (PWYP) Indonesia coalition is urging the government to adopt a stance supporting a moratorium or rejection of deep sea mining (DSM) activities at the 31st session of the International Seabed Authority. The global forum under the auspices of the UN will be held in Kingston, Jamaica, from 29 to 31 July 2026. The appeal was conveyed through an official letter to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries on Friday, 19 June 2026. PWYP Indonesia National Coordinator Aryanto Nugroho stated that approval of commercial deep sea mining exploitation has the potential to cause massive and irreversible environmental damage. “We convey this appeal and proposed stance as part of a society that sees a potential threat of major environmental damage if deep sea mining is commercially approved through the discussions at the UN session,” said Aryanto, 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 countries directly involved in the discussion of international seabed mineral exploitation regulations. At the upcoming ISA meeting, one of the main agendas to be discussed is the Mining Code, a set of rules that will determine whether and how mineral exploitation through deep sea mining activities can be legally commercialised. 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, assesses that the global mining company The Metals Company (TMC), through its affiliates, allegedly plans to utilise the supply chain and smelter capacity in Indonesia to process deep sea rocks (polymetallic nodules) mined from international waters. “Indonesia is being targeted to become a global seabed rock processing site with a high risk of waste in coastal areas,” he said. PWYP considers that the plan to legalise DSM through the Mining Code faces widespread rejection because it has the potential to cause ecological damage and risks of human rights violations. Various studies also show that the impacts of deep sea mining are potentially permanent and difficult to restore. Referring to a policy brief by the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC), Aryanto said DSM activities risk damaging marine biodiversity and disturbing seabed sediment layers that function as natural carbon sinks. Damage to these sediments could release large amounts of carbon emissions into the atmosphere. Furthermore, deep sea mining activities also potentially threaten the rights to health, food, and living space of coastal communities due to the risk of heavy metal pollution that can accumulate in fishery resources. Through the letter sent to the government, PWYP submitted two main recommendations. First, Indonesia is asked to declare official support for a moratorium or precautionary pause on deep sea mining exploitation and become the first country in Asia to join the group of nations rejecting the commercialisation of DSM. Second, the government is asked to ensure high-level political representation at the 2026 ISA Council and Assembly meetings to oversee that the Mining Code is not hastily approved. PWYP also sent copies of 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. “Amid the climate crisis, biodiversity loss, and environmental pollution, implementing a moratorium on deep sea mining will be a visionary leadership legacy for future generations,” said Aryanto.