Nations Reject Trump’s Deep-Sea Mining Order with $9.1bn Sustainable Oceans Pledge

Hundreds of nations, regions, and philanthropists have united, collectively committing a massive $9.1 billion in fresh funding to protect and restore our oceans. This groundbreaking move was made during the annual Our Ocean Conference in Busan, South Korea, which wrapped up on Wednesday, April 30. The event has emerged as a crucial milestone ahead of the United Nations Ocean Conference in June and the COP30 climate summit later in November.

The commitments made at the conference—an impressive total of 277—cover a broad spectrum of ocean-related initiatives. Nearly half of the funding, $4.5 billion, is directed towards the burgeoning blue economy. Key focus areas include enhancing sustainability across fisheries and aquaculture, with a particular emphasis on supporting small businesses within these sectors.

In a distinctive move, South Korea, as the host country, rallied nearly $1 billion in pledges under the theme of “digital oceans.” This initiative aims to leverage cutting-edge digital technologies, such as satellite imagery and AI, to monitor and catalogue critical ocean sustainability data, marking a transformative step toward ocean conservation.

While the conference received intense support for innovation and research, the funding commitments for marine nature-based climate solutions, such as kelp forests and coral reef restoration, were comparatively modest, garnering just $150 million. Despite their crucial role in restoring ecosystems and combating climate change, these solutions continue to receive limited financial backing.

The latest wave of funding brings the total amount mobilized by the conference to a staggering $160 billion since its inception in 2024. But while this progress is significant, the ocean financing gap remains glaring. The United Nations estimates that a staggering $175 billion annually is needed to safeguard our oceans.

In addition to funding commitments, nations also vowed to expand marine protected areas (MPAs) and strengthen protections for existing ones, contributing to the UN's ambitious target of ensuring 30% of global land and seas are under protection by 2030. This includes new MPAs in the high seas, a step forward in the fight for ocean preservation.

However, the conference took place against a backdrop of geopolitical tension. Before the event, U.S. President Donald Trump signed an executive order that fast-tracks deep-sea mining permits. This initiative has raised alarms among environmentalists. The order mandates the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to expedite approvals for mining operations in both US and international waters.

This move starkly contrasts the growing global call for a moratorium on deep-sea mining, with over 30 countries now voicing concern about the unknown environmental risks posed to marine life, food security, and carbon storage on the seabed. The International Seabed Authority has emphasized that no nation has the authority to exploit the seabed beyond its national jurisdiction, per the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea—though it’s worth noting that the US is not a signatory to this convention.

Once a leader in ocean conservation efforts, the United States has pulled back in recent years. The Our Ocean Conference, first initiated in 2014 by then-US Secretary of State John Kerry, now operates under the auspices of the World Resources Institute (WRI). This shift highlights the evolving dynamics in international ocean policy and the complexity of global cooperation.

Looking ahead, the 2025 Our Ocean Conference is set to take place from June 9 to 13 in Nice, France, in preparation for the UN Ocean Conference. With the overarching theme of “accelerating action and mobilizing all actors to conserve and sustainably use the ocean,” the stakes for the future of our oceans have never been higher.