'The Metals Company (TMC), a Canadian firm at the forefront of deep-sea mining, has rapidly expanded its operations across the Pacific, targeting areas vital to Indigenous and other coastal communities in Asia and the Pacific.' (...)

'Indigenous coastal communities consider the sea/ocean as their mother and the coast as the mother’s lap. For example, members of Paravar and Mukkuvar coastal communities in South India refer to the ocean as kadalmatha or kadalamma (Mother Ocean) and do not separate ecology from ecology-dependent people in their customary wisdom. Further, Indigenous coastal communities believe that we are all connected by the sea/ocean. While TMC markets its extraction of polymetallic nodules from the seabed as the key to a greener future, critical evidence and mounting resistance reveal that its operations can cause far-reaching harms, particularly to Indigenous coastal communities.' (...)

'The Metals Company aggressively pursues partnerships with Pacific States to secure access to the international seabed, often sidelining local voices and Indigenous concerns. Many Indigenous communities see their ancestral waters and stewardship ignored, with any expectation of economic benefits materializing at the community level. At the same time, many countries do not even legally recognize the ocean rights of Indigenous Peoples. The company’s operations have triggered protests and pushback, especially because public consultation and meaningful consent are widely lacking. The dismissal of opposition of Indigenous and coastal communities, supported by environmental groups, deepens historical patterns of marginalization and cultural erosion.​' (...)

The Metals Company declined to comment to the BHRC request to respond to allegations.