"SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico — A Canadian company announced Tuesday that its U.S. subsidiary submitted applications to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to mine the seafloor, sparking outrage by bypassing a U.N. agency that regulates deep international waters.

The Metals Company said it was seeking two exploration licenses and a commercial recovery permit, marking the first time a company applies to commercially mine the seabed.

The filing is expected to spark a complex legal battle since the Jamaica-based International Seabed Authority, a U.N. agency that regulates international deep-sea waters, has the power to authorize exploitation permits.

“Any commercial exploitation outside of national jurisdiction carried out without the authorization of ISA would constitute a violation of international law,” the authority said in late March after The Metals Company announced its intention to seek permission from the U.S. government to start deep-sea mining in international waters."

Dánica Coto reports for the Associated Press April 29, 2025. [2]