The Deep Sea Conservation Coalition (DSCC) urges the international community to urgently establish a moratorium on destructive deep-sea mining to prevent actions that threaten the health of our ocean for future generations.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – Kingston, Jamaica, 28 March 2025
The International Seabed Authority (ISA) Council Meeting concludes today after two weeks of intense negotiations on the future of deep-sea mining, with States forcefully pushing back against industry efforts to bypass the international process, undermine efforts to safeguard the deep ocean, and rush the approval of a mining code.
During the meeting, The Metals Company (TMC) announced its intention to apply for a deep-sea mining license through the United States’ Deep Sea Hard Mineral Resources Act in the second quarter of 2025, while also keeping the option of submitting through the ISA in June 2025. This announcement was met with resounding criticism by the ISA Secretary-General and universal condemnation from virtually all member countries that took the floor of the ISA in a special debate on the last day of the meeting.
Sofia Tsenikli, DSCC Campaign Director, said: “This reckless move demonstrates that TMC’s plan has always been to mine the deep sea, through any means, and at any cost, in complete disregard to the environment and people. “
“This is a critical moment for ISA member States to resist industry pressure, and put in place a moratorium sending a powerful message that the common heritage of humankind is not a commodity that goes to the most aggressive bidder, and that all States stand united in safeguarding the long-term health of our ocean for the benefit of humankind as a whole.”
In another decisive blow to mining companies, States rejected Nauru’s request, made as the sponsoring state of TMC subsidiary NORI, to establish a process for assessing a mining application under ISA’s two-year rule. Instead, States reaffirmed the July 2023 consensus decision that no mining should commence in the absence of a mining code, and further highlighted throughout the Council meeting the need for adequate science, precaution, and safeguards to ensure the marine environment will be effectively protected.
Escalating industry pressure to fast-track deep-sea mining was met with strong resistance from States and observers raising serious concerns over environmental destruction, economic risks, and threats to cultural heritage and ways of life if deep-sea mining is permitted to proceed.
A majority of States, along with Indigenous representatives, scientists, and civil society groups, repeatedly emphasized the need for stronger environmental protections, more scientific research on the deep sea, and greater consultation and inclusion of Indigenous voices and representatives.
Emma Wilson, DSCC Policy Advisor, said: “In light of the significant lack of scientific research, absence of an environmental policy, unresolved questions about benefit-sharing, and serious liability concerns, among numerous other critical issues, deep-sea mining is far too risky to proceed. Rushing this process to satisfy industry interests and shareholders runs counter to international priorities of upholding multilateralism in unstable times and ensuring more careful treatment of the Earth systems that support life on our planet.”
As global support for a moratorium reaches new heights and TMC’s ISA mining application, along with its plans to mine under the United States’ Deep Seabed Hard Mineral Resources Act in 2025, loom in the background, States now face a defining moment in determining the future health of the deep sea.
Matthew Gianni, DSCC Co-founder and Political Advisor, said: “Governments have the power to stop this. A moratorium would be one of the most significant environmental wins of the decade – both to protect the environment and to uphold multilateralism for the benefit of all people. At a time when the world desperately needs bold, collective action from the international community of nations to safeguard the ocean, nature, and climate, governments must stand together in the interest of all humankind, and not cave in to the rapacious interests of a single company.”
Duncan Currie, DSCC Legal Advisor, added: “The world is watching. As the world’s common heritage, the ISA must uphold its duty to effectively protect the deep sea. A moratorium is not only permissible but crucial. It is currently the only way to prevent irreversible harm and to promote harmony in the interest of all humankind.”
-Ends-
DSCC Member Quotes:
“No matter how you look at it, this industry is economically unviable. Investors are walking away, insurers are hesitant, and many companies, from carmakers to technology firms, have made it clear they don’t want these minerals. Market demand does not justify the risk, and financiers know this, which is why The Metals Company now feels forced to make one last desperate gamble. Deep-sea mining is a high-risk, no-reward industry. Battery technology and mineral needs are changing far faster than would-be deep-sea miners can keep up, and whole markets, such as the EU, have rejected the products of deep-sea mining in advance. Anyone betting on its success is ignoring basic economic reality. The sooner they realise that, the better off they will be.” Steve Trent, CEO and Founder, Environmental Justice Foundation
“For the first time ever, Indigenous representatives from Canada brought their knowledge and perspectives to the ISA, joining other Indigenous peoples to highlight the threat deep-sea mining poses to their culture, traditions, and ways of life. However, if the ISA truly seeks to govern the international seabed for the benefit of humankind, then Indigenous peoples must not only have a chance to speak, but be listened to—and that means permanent representation at the ISA.”- Nicole Zanesco, International Policy Advisor, Oceans North
“Underwater Cultural Heritage is more than a relic of the past, it is a living connection to history, biodiversity, and deep-sea wisdom. Short-term regulatory fixes risk erasing not just ancient stories, but future discoveries. True preservation means safeguarding the deep ocean as a space for cultural, spiritual, and scientific exploration, ensuring its intergenerational legacy as part of our shared Common Heritage of All-Kinds.” – Khadija Steward, Senior Campaigner, RiseUP
“Deep seabed mining poses a direct threat to the Global Biodiversity Framework and the Sustainable Development Goals, risking irreversible harm to marine ecosystems and the communities that depend on them. A moratorium is essential to uphold global commitments to protect biodiversity, ensure equity, and build a sustainable future for all.” Kaja Lonne Fjaertoft, Global Policy Lead WWF’s Deep Seabed Mining Initiative
“As science, business, civil society, and governments increasingly oppose deep-sea mining, the question remains: why is the ISA still allowing this destructive industry to guide its agenda? With advances in battery technology, recycling, and circular economy solutions, the need for deep-sea minerals is diminishing day by day.” Simon Holmström, Deep-Sea Mining Policy Officer, Seas At Risk
“This announcement of the Metals Company represents what we have been fighting for decades and continue to fight against: this is a clear example of colonialism and an attempted appropriation of parts of the Pacific Ocean by a US multinational corporation. For decades, industrial interests and companies have seen the Pacific as an area to carve up for their own benefit. Even before 2021, TMC’s predecessor Nautilus walked away from Papua New Guinea, leaving them with a liability of over $100 million US dollars. Particularly since 2021, TMC and its predecessors have tried to pressure Pacific countries into bending to their will. Now it no longer suits them, they threaten to carve up the Pacific unilaterally.” Itiranga Pennycook, Project Officer, Te Ipukarea Society
“TMC is showing its true colours – greedy, dangerous and desperate. It’s crystal clear that TMC has never cared about economic prosperity or jobs for the people of Nauru, Kiribati or Tonga, nor did it ever care about addressing the climate crisis. TMC has only ever cared about one thing: filling its own pockets with money made at the expense of our Pacific lifeblood – the ocean. The Pacific is not a commodity; the deep sea mining industry is pushing to exploit Pacific resources and communities for profit – it can’t keep happening.” Shiva Gounden, Head of Pacific at Greenpeace Australia Pacific
“It is of extreme importance to have youth inclusion in the decision-making process at the ISA. Now more than ever, we must stand united across generations and borders to defend the deep, prioritize science, and secure a moratorium on deep-sea mining—ensuring a healthy and thriving ocean for youth today and for all generations to come.” – Eugénia Barroca, Regional Representative for Europe and Lusophony, Sustainable Ocean Alliance
Notes to editors:
- The “two-year rule,” refers to a provision in the 1994 Agreement relating to the implementation of the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) Part XI (the Area). The provision notes that if the ISA Council has not completed the elaboration of the regulations relating to exploitation within two years following the request of a state who intends to apply for approval of an exploitation plan, then the Council “shall nonetheless consider and provisionally approve such plan of work” based on the provisions of the Convention and any rules that the Council may have adopted provisionally.
- Applying to mine the international seabed through the United States’ Deep Sea Hard Mineral Resources Act would involve TMC engaging with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to secure permits for deep-sea mineral extraction in international waters, independent of the ISA’s regulatory framework.
- TMC’s pursuit of mining rights under U.S. legislation introduces legal ambiguities, potentially conflicting with international law and existing agreements under the ISA.
About the DSCC
The Deep Sea Conservation Coalition (DSCC) was founded in 2004 in response to international concerns over the harmful impacts of deep-sea bottom trawling.
Today, more than 130 non-governmental organizations (NGOs), fishers’ associations, and law and policy institutes worldwide are working together under the umbrella of the DSCC to ensure the protection of vulnerable deep-sea ecosystems.