Kinematix/Greenpeace

Governments concluded two weeks of negotiations today at the International Seabed Authority (ISA) Council with the case for a moratorium on deep-sea mining even stronger than when they arrived. Over the course of the meeting, governments heard the ISA’s own experts highlight immense scientific uncertainty, confirmed that the contractor non-compliance inquiry will continue, and continued negotiating a Mining Code and wider governance framework that remains far from complete and remains inadequate to protect the marine environment and uphold equity.  

A large piece of Paragorgia coral is hauled aboard the New Zealand bottom trawler, Waipori. © Greenpeace | Malcolm Pullman

Leading scientists, policymakers and civil society organizations will gather from 13-14 July for a critical UN workshop that could determine the future of more than 21% of the world's seabed. As part of the 2026 UN Bottom Fisheries Review, the workshop will evaluate how governments and regional fisheries management organisations (RFMOs) are implementing United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) resolutions to protect seamounts from destructive fishing practices.

Photo by IISD/ENB | Diego Noguera

Governments arrive in Kingston, Jamaica this week for the International Seabed Authority’s (ISA) Council and Assembly as international law and the future of the deep sea come under increasing pressure. The Metals Company (TMC) is attempting to unilaterally mine the international seabed through US domestic law, a move widely considered illegal under international law, even as 43 countries, including for the first time three African nations, have lined up behind a moratorium or precautionary pause on deep-sea mining. 

Kenya and Madagascar have joined a rapidly-growing number of governments calling for a precautionary pause or moratorium on deep-sea mining, marking a significant expansion of African leadership to protect the deep ocean from a high-risk industry.

2021 North Atlantic Stepping Stones: New England and Corner Rise. NOAA

Released on World Ocean Day, the United Nations’ Third World Ocean Assessment paints a stark picture of a deep ocean vital to planetary survival but under siege from industrial pressure and the impacts of the climate crisis.  

The Deep Sea Conservation Coalition (DSCC) welcomes the announcement that Malawi has become the first African country to support a precautionary pause on deep-sea mining, marking a significant milestone for the ocean and growing momentum against the speculative and destructive deep-sea mining industry. 

The 15th Meeting of the Conference of the Parties (COP15) to the Convention on Migratory Species (CMS) concluded with widespread support for a resolution and decision on prioritizing the protection of seamount ecosystems. Parties also reaffirmed the need for precaution with regards to deep-sea mining and for the industry not to proceed as long as scientific gaps remain.

2J34PD0 Drilling vessel Hidden Gem of The Metals Company, is being converted in the seaport of Rotterdam, Maasvlakte, it will be the first vessel to be equipp

Two weeks of International Seabed Authority (ISA) Council negotiations have concluded with no mining approved and no Mining Code adopted. Unresolved issues ranged from environmental safeguards and liability to inspection, compliance, and benefit-sharing. Governments, including France, Costa Rica, South Africa on behalf of the Africa Group, Mexico, Germany, Palau, and Brazil, among others, raised major scientific, environmental, and governance gaps. Several States stressed that these issues must be fully resolved before any mining is considered.

As governments meet from 9–20 March in Kingston, Jamaica for the International Seabed Authority’s (ISA) Council session, they confront a defining question for global ocean governance: will the ISA uphold its mandate to protect the common heritage of humankind or rush to open the deep ocean to an irreversibly damaging industry?

2J34PD0 Drilling vessel Hidden Gem of The Metals Company, is being converted in the seaport of Rotterdam, Maasvlakte, it will be the first vessel to be equipp

The Deep Sea Conservation Coalition (DSCC) strongly condemns The Metals Company’s (TMC) attempt to fast-track deep-sea mining through a unilateral U.S. permitting process in international waters, attempting to undermine the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) and bypass ongoing multilateral negotiations at the International Seabed Authority (ISA).