Despite widespread calls for precaution and the need for a moratorium on deep-sea mining, States at the International Seabed Authority (ISA) are currently being rushed to finalize a dangerously weak Mining Code. The pressure applied on States has put them at a critical juncture. But approving the mining code this year or any time in the near future is a false solution and a recipe for disaster for the environment, society, and the ISA as an institution. Instead States should adopt a moratorium or precautionary pause rejecting exploitation applications to prevent large-scale mining commencing in a regulatory and scientific vacuum. The moratorium should remain in place until it is certain that there will be no harm to the marine environment and that the decisions made by the ISA truly benefit humankind as a whole, including future generations.
This paper demonstrates that, contrary to the claims of the industry, the current Mining Code is years away from even being considered for adoption.