The United Nations has ignited a global debate over deep-sea mining as countries and corporations have been granted the ability to seek provisional licences for deep-sea mining activities in international waters.
This follows a move by the International Seabed Authority, the UN agency overseeing underwater resource regulation, to discuss the matter during a two-week conference that began on Monday in Kingston, Jamaica.
Juan José González, the authority's council president, signalled the start of a significant discussion, stating, "We have a lot of work ahead of us."
Although the authority has approved more than 30 exploration licences, no provisional licences for actual mining have yet been issued.
The central focus of the debate is whether to permit the extraction of valuable metals used in electric car batteries and other green technology from the seabed.
Despite arguments from companies suggesting that deep sea mining is a cost-effective solution with lesser environmental impact compared to land mining, environmental concerns have prompted calls for a ban or a moratorium from more than a dozen countries.
As per the roadmap, the priority set out by the Council is to continue to advance the negotiations on the draft regulations relating to the exploitation of mineral resources in the Area prepared by LTC and submitted to the Council in March 2019: https://t.co/jClBYooOMD #ISBA28 pic.twitter.com/PO8yz8o0Nk— ISBA-HQ (@ISBAHQ) July 11, 2023
Potential environmental impacts
Scientists have warned about the potential environmental impacts of deep-sea mining, arguing that the minerals in the depths of the ocean have taken millions of years to form and that mining activities could disrupt ecosystems with noise, light and suffocating dust storms.
Current explorations are concentrated in the Clarion-Clipperton Fracture Zone, an area spanning an area between Hawaii and Mexico in the Pacific Ocean, at depths of 4,000 to 6,000 metres.
This region is home to more than 5,000 types of fauna and unique environments with hydrothermal vents, underwater mountains and vast plains up to 6,500 metres below the surface.
What is the global sentiment?
More than a dozen countires including Switzerland, Spain, Germany and Canada, are calling for a moratorium on the practice over environmental concerns.
However, the opposition to deep-sea mining is not unanimous. The International Seabed Authority (ISA) has already granted 31 exploration contracts to corporations eager to investigate the ocean's depths.
Fourteen countries, including China, Russia, India, the UK, France and Japan, have sponsored these contracts.
Moreover, the ISA's jurisdiction only extends to international waters, leaving nations free to conduct exploration within their territorial waters.
In a contentious move last month, Norway opened regions in the Greenland Sea, the Norwegian Sea and the Barents Sea, spanning an area of 280,000 square kilometres, for mining companies to apply for licences.
This act has further stirred the global dialogue around deep-sea mining and the balance between economic opportunities and environmental stewardship.
In April, Australian Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek said she was "concerned about the broad and unknown environmental impacts of deep-sea mining.
"Australia does not believe deep sea mining should take place unless strong environmental regulations are in place," she said.
But she stopped short of calling for a moratorium and has kept hush on these latest developments.
Meanwhile, Nauru, Kiribati and Tonga, who have partnered with The Metals Company, are determined to press ahead with the applications despite opposition from several other Pacific Island nations.
What's next
The International Seabed Authority's 36-member council is scheduled to debate the issue on Friday but it remains unclear if or when a vote on permitting mining in international waters will occur, given the sharp divisions on the topic.
As the conference kicked off, council president González urged members to "stay open and attempt to reach consensus", expressing hope for a decision to be reached by the end of the two-week session.