The International Seabed Authority has expressed concern following reports that the U.S. subsidiary of The Metals Company is seeking deep-sea mining permits from the U.S. instead of waiting for the global regulator’s finalization of a mining code.
Mongabay recently reported that The Metals Company (TMC), based in Canada, has started a process to apply for both exploration and exploitation licenses with the U.S. regulators. TMC aims to mine polymetallic nodules, or rocks rich in commercially valuable metals like copper, nickel, manganese and cobalt, in a part of international waters in the Pacific Ocean known as the Clarion-Clipperton Zone (CCZ).
In a statement, ISA’s secretary-general Leticia Carvalho said the authority holds exclusive control over all activities in the international seabed area beyond national jurisdictions. The international area is recognized as the common heritage of humankind under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), a global treaty setting rules for how countries use the oceans, and its 1994 Agreement, she added. The U.S. has not ratified UNCLOS.
Carvalho, who is an oceanographer, said that any unilateral actions would violate international law and undermine multilateral governance.
In response to the pushback, the company’s CEO Gerard Barron said in a statement that “commercial industry is not welcome at the ISA.”
Barron said the authority is being influenced by nations allied with environmental NGOs. These states are continuously delaying the adoption of deep-sea mining regulations, he added, “with the explicit intent of killing commercial industry.”
He also said the ISA “does not have an exclusive mandate to regulate seabed mining activities” as the U.S. has approved exploration contracts, and UNCLOS membership is not universal.
The ISA, meanwhile, said several delegates supported Carvalho’s statement and the need for a “robust regulatory framework” before mining activities start.
The authority added that during its 30th session in Jamaica held March 17-28, progress was made on the mining code, but some issues need further discussions.
The Earth Negotiations Bulletin of the International Institute for Sustainable Development said that the ISA needs to resolve competing approaches toward deep-sea mining; while 32 member states have called for a moratorium or precautionary pause on deep-sea mining, other members want commercial exploitation of deep-sea mineral resources to begin soon.
The ISA plans to continue its discussions in July 2025.
A recent study found that a deep-sea mining test site from 1979 in the CCZ still shows signs of lower biodiversity than nearby undisturbed areas, 44 years after the experiment.
Louisa Casson, Greenpeace International campaigner, who attended the ISA meeting, said, “this latest evidence makes it even more clear why governments must act now to stop deep sea mining before it ever starts.”
Banner image of deep-sea corals on the ocean floor via NOAA (Public domain).
Correction: the article previously said the delegates had completed a second reading of the draft regulation at the March session. This is incorrect, and has been removed.
This story first appeared on Mongabay
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