Greenpeace activists occupy RV Tangaroa to protest deep-sea mineral exploration

In a direct action focused on protecting the health of the Pacific Ocean, Greenpeace activists have boarded and occupied the government-owned research vessel Tangaroa in Wellington on Saturday, 26 September 2026. According to a report by Waatea News, the protest follows the vessel’s recent return from the Clarion-Clipperton Zone, where it is alleged to have conducted mineral survey work for UK Seabed Resources, a subsidiary of the US-based Glomar Minerals. Campaigners displayed a "Don’t Mine the Moana" banner from the vessel, signaling a clear message against the commercial exploitation of the deep sea. Greenpeace Aotearoa campaigner Juressa Lee expressed significant concern regarding the use of New Zealand state-owned assets to facilitate work that could lead to commercial seabed mining. Lee highlighted that such activities pose irreversible risks to marine ecosystems that are not yet fully understood by science. The protest highlights the ongoing tension between commercial interests and the protection of Indigenous connections to the ocean. Greenpeace argues that deep-sea mining presents specific threats to Pacific communities who maintain deep cultural and economic ties to the moana. The organisation remains critical of moves to bypass international regulations, particularly in light of an April 2025 United States executive order seeking access to seabed minerals. While New Zealand’s official international position maintains that deep-sea mining should only occur under robust regulations that protect the environment, the occupation of the Tangaroa serves as a reminder of the call for kaitiakitanga. Activists contend that Aotearoa should not allow its resources to assist private companies while international rules remain unresolved. This latest action echoes a 2015 occupation of the same vessel, which occurred during a similar dispute regarding oil exploration.