Community members overwhelmingly raised environmental, cultural, and intergenerational concerns during the Rota town hall on the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management’s request for information on seabed mineral leasing, held Jan. 7 at the Department of Commerce conference room. Only a minority expressed openness to potential economic benefits.
Therese Manalang, a Chamorro language teacher at Dr. Rita H. Inos Jr./Sr. High School, strongly opposed deep-sea mining, framing her remarks around culture, history, and long-term consequences.
“Deep-sea mining is being presented as an opportunity—progress and economic gain. But history has taught us that when powerful interests promise benefits, indigenous and island communities are often left carrying the heaviest burden while receiving the smallest return,” she said.
Manalang also questioned whether the promised benefits would be immediate and meaningful for the families, fishermen, and youth of Rota.
“Or will they be minimal, delayed, and insignificant compared to the permanent damage left behind? Money can be spent once, but environmental destruction lasts for generations. Let us be honest—there is no true price that can replace a living ocean,” she said. “Our marine ecosystem feeds us, protects us, and defines us as island people. Once destroyed, no amount of money can bring it back. Sediment plumes, pollution, disrupted food chains, and toxic byproducts do not disappear because a contract ends.”
Manalang urged leaders to resist being rushed, calling deep-sea mining a gamble with future generations. She described her position as “pro-life, pro-future, and pro-island survival,” asserting that the Marianas’ ocean is not expendable and should not be treated as an experiment.
Rota Mayor Aubrey Hocog, for her part, also spoke in opposition, both as an elected official and a mother. She said her stance was shaped by concern for fishermen—particularly her partner and son—who rely on the ocean for sustenance and livelihood.
“I truly believe that we can survive with the resources that we have on land and at sea. And until we can get further, more detailed scientific information, it’s very difficult to assume and say that there won’t be any major harmful impacts,” she said.
Hocog added that the Marianas’ decision on seabed mining will affect not only the present generation in the CNMI, but future generations as well.
“I really would like to preserve our natural habitat and allow our people, our children, and their future children to use the land and water for their survival. We understand that the impact we have on any habitat affects its patrons, and we definitely do not want to expose those harmful effects to our children,” she said.
Other commenters echoed similar concerns. Rosita Hocog cited potential environmental damage from dredging, sediment plumes, toxic pollution, noise, and light disturbance, warning that these could disrupt marine ecosystems, fisheries, and food chains for generations. She emphasized the lack of scientific knowledge about deep-sea environments and urged a precautionary approach.
Juan Pan Guerrero, a Rota businessman, raised cultural and environmental concerns while also calling for strong safeguards, transparency, and equitable sharing of any economic benefits.
He questioned who would be responsible for monitoring and enforcement, and urged BOEM to ensure that indigenous rights and local interests are protected.
Mona Manglona, a social worker and climate advocate, said deep-sea mining would impose irreversible environmental risks on future generations already facing climate change. She criticized the uncertainty surrounding revenues, warned against militarization tied to mineral extraction, and called instead for conservation-based and sustainable economic alternatives.
Several speakers, including Dean Manglona and Sheila Jack Babauta of Friends of the Mariana Trench, emphasized that the Marianas Trench and surrounding waters are globally significant yet poorly understood, arguing that mining could destroy ecosystems that have not been fully studied. Babauta noted that commercial deep-sea mining has not been conducted anywhere in the world and said the CNMI would bear 100% of the risk for speculative returns.
A small number of speakers expressed conditional support or called for further study. Vicente Rosario argued that seabed minerals could provide long-term economic opportunities, healthcare improvements, and royalties for indigenous people, urging leaders to consider development as a way to revive Rota’s economy.
Robert Myers said the CNMI should first secure a seat at the table, assess the actual value of seabed minerals, and clarify Covenant issues before taking a definitive stance, cautioning against decisions driven solely by emotion rather than data.
Youth representative Edward Maratita and other community leaders also spoke against the proposal, citing a lack of information, risks to future generations, and uncertainty about environmental impacts.
Henry Hofschneider, Gov. David M. Apatang’s chief of staff, said Apatang has not yet finalized his formal comments to BOEM.
According to Hofschneider, the governor is deliberately waiting to hear feedback from town halls on Saipan, Tinian, and Rota before taking a final position, with all comments to be transcribed and reviewed as part of the administration’s response.
Like the town hall on Saipan last month, Bureau of Environmental and Coastal Quality administrator Floyd Masga facilitated the town hall.
After Saipan and Rota, the series of town hall meetings on BOEM’s RFI on seabed mining in the Marianas will continue on Tinian on Jan. 9 at the Tinian Conference Center–Bar-K Diner, beginning at 5:30pm.
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