Protecting Our Ocean from Deep-Sea Destruction – Azul Statement
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
DATE: April 24, 2025
CONTACT: media@azul.org
Protecting Our Ocean from Deep-Sea Destruction
Washington D.C. (April 24, 2025) – In response to the Trump Administration’s Executive Order regarding deep-sea mining, Azul’s Founder and Executive Director, Marce Gutiérrez-Graudiņš, released the following statement:
“The Trump Administration’s Executive Order to fast-track offshore mineral extraction circumvents international agreements and, importantly, ignores the will of the people. According to the 2024 National Azul Poll, 84% of Latino voters support the government implementing the strongest possible protections for our ocean, even if it is costly, and 78% want the government to protect the ocean, even if it means not allowing the extraction of natural resources like seabed minerals.
Our ocean is not a sacrifice zone. Extractive practices like deep-sea mining put life below and above water at risk. We urge our leaders to listen to the communities calling for the government to invest in our ocean planet, rather than exploit it.”
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Azul is an ocean justice organization working with Latino communities to protect our blue planet. Founded in 2011, Azul has developed –and executed– campaigns that achieved groundbreaking ocean conservation policy victories at local, national and international levels.