ASEDA representative sets the record straight

Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — Over the past week, several news organizations reported that the American Samoa Economic Development Authority (ASEDA) was involved and supported deep sea mining (DSM) in the Pacific or have entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU).

These news articles may have been referencing the American Samoa Economic Development Council (ASEDC).

ASEDA is a government entity, while ASEDC is a privately owned entity.

A press release dated Aug. 1, 2025, was sent by EFG Consulting to inform the public that ASEDA is not involved in any way with deep sea mining nor with ASEDC and refers any questions related to deep sea mining to the Governor’s Office of American Samoa.

“We make no comment related to ASEDC as we have no meaningful knowledge of this organization other than references from news outlets.”

The email containing the Press Release from ASEDA included appreciation to Samoa News for its recent article reflecting the misunderstandings described in its Press Release.

The referenced Samoa News article included a comment from the executive chair of ASEDC, John Wasko, a local resident, who told Samoa News that the writer of the news article identifying ASEDA as one of the parties of the MOU was in error — it was ASEDC who had entered into a MOU with American Resources Corporation along with its holding in ReElement Technologies Corporation, not ASEDA.

A 2-hour public forum was held yesterday, Wednesday, Aug. 6, 2025, late afternoon hosted by the Office of the Governor, American Samoa Resilience Office, and the Deep-Sea Mining Task Force focusing on “exploring the risks, rewards, and realities” of DSM for American Samoa.