Greenpeace activists have boarded and occupied the Government-owned research vessel Tangaroa in Wellington, protesting its involvement in deep-sea mineral exploration in the Pacific.
The action follows the vessel’s return from the Clarion-Clipperton Zone, where Greenpeace says it carried out mineral survey work for UK Seabed Resources, a subsidiary of US-based Glomar Minerals.
Activists displayed a Don’t Mine the Moana banner, while one dressed as US President Donald Trump and carried an American flag, as Greenpeace accused New Zealand of helping advance US ambitions to accelerate deep-sea mining.
Greenpeace Aotearoa campaigner Juressa Lee says the organisation is particularly concerned that a New Zealand state-owned vessel has been used for work that could contribute to future commercial seabed mining.
The protest comes amid an international dispute over how, or whether, commercial mining of the deep ocean should proceed. New Zealand’s stated international position is that exploitation in areas beyond national jurisdiction should only occur under robust International Seabed Authority regulations that effectively protect the marine environment.
Greenpeace argues deep-sea mining could cause irreversible damage to poorly understood marine ecosystems and poses particular risks for Pacific communities with deep cultural and economic connections to the moana.
The organisation is also strongly critical of the Trump administration’s move to pursue access to seabed critical minerals outside the existing International Seabed Authority process. New Zealand officials have previously noted that an April 2025 US executive order sought access to seabed minerals both within national jurisdictions and in the international seabed.
Greenpeace says New Zealand should not allow state-owned assets to help companies pursuing commercial deep-sea mining while international rules remain unresolved.
The Tangaroa has faced similar direct action before, with Greenpeace activists occupying the vessel in 2015 over its involvement in oil exploration.
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