KINGSTON, Jamaica, CMC – The Jamaica-based International Seabed Authority (ISA) has begun negotiations concerning the future of deep-sea mining and mineral extraction.
In 2021, the Pacific Island of Nauru formally requested the ISA. This UN body oversees mining in international waters for a commercial license to begin deep-sea mining.
The ISA member states have spent the last decade trying to agree on a mining code for possibly extracting nickel, cobalt, and copper in deep seabed areas outside national jurisdictions.
But they have yet to be able to reach an agreement. During the ISA meeting, expected to last until the end of the month, member countries will have to consider licenses for potentially environmentally devastating mining operations if governments request them.
In March, the ISA Council, the decision-making body on contracts, noted that commercial exploitation “should not be carried out” until the mining code was in place.
However, non-government organizations (NGOs) fear companies will take advantage of the legal loophole and hope the Council will take a more straightforward decision by July 21.
Nearly 200 countries, including Switzerland, Spain, and Germany, are calling for a pause or moratorium on the practice over environmental concerns. However, fewer than 20 countries currently support the suspension, with Chile, France, Palau, and Vanuatu choosing to take the debate to the political level.
At their request, the ISA’s 167 member states will discuss a “precautionary pause” in mining when it meets between July 24 and 28.
Scientists recently announced that more than 5,000 animals were found in the Pacific Ocean’s Clarion Clipperton Zone (CCZ) – a key area for future mining efforts.
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