Fiji, June 3 -- American Samoa's Delegate to the U.S. Congress, Uifa'atali Amata, has renewed her call for a moratorium on deep seabed mining near the territory, warning that unanswered scientific questions and potential threats to fish stocks require a cautious approach.

In an update issued in response to questions from constituents, Amata said she remains opposed to deep seabed mining while federal authorities carry out an environmental review of proposed activities in federal waters between three and 200 miles offshore of American Samoa.

"I want to emphasise several key points as the federal government is currently conducting the environmental review required by law under the DOI/BOEM process that controls the Federal waters outside ...