Home » Solutions » Deep-Sea Mining Moratorium »
The deep sea is the largest biome on Earth. This mysterious and hugely varied place makes up 90% of the marine environment and plays a vital role in regulating our planetary systems. However, the deep sea – and our entire planet – is threatened by the potential commencement of deep-sea mining.
Learn more below.
Deep-sea mining is the process of removing mineral deposits from the deep ocean floor. The minerals targeted contain metals such as nickel, cobalt, copper and manganese. While experimental and exploratory work is already underway, deep-sea mining has never taken place at a commercial scale.
The deep sea is home to a dazzling array of life, including species found nowhere else on the planet. Many deep-sea organisms are slow growing, late to reproduce and have limited capacity to recover from disturbance, making them particularly vulnerable to industrial activity. These fragile deep-sea ecosystems are already under stress from global warming, bottom fisheries, pollution and plastic, with deep-sea mining poised to compound existing threats.
The International Seabed Authority (ISA) was established in 1994 and comprises 170 Member States plus the European Union. The ISA has a conflicting dual mandate, as it is both tasked with regulating any mining activities in the ocean seabed beyond national jurisdiction and at the same time responsible for ensuring the protection of the marine environment from the harmful effects of deep-sea mining.
A deep-sea mining moratorium or precautionary pause refers to a temporary suspension of deep-sea mining activities until sufficient scientific knowledge, robust regulations, and effective oversight mechanisms are in place to ensure environmental protection and compliance with international law.
Any attempts to commence commercial deep-sea mining outside of or ahead of an agreed regulatory framework adopted by the International Seabed Authority (ISA) is referred to as unilateral deep-sea mining.
Since minerals found in the deep sea can be used in technologies such as wind turbines, solar panels, batteries and electric vehicles, deep-sea mining is often framed as essential for the green transition. However, current evidence shows this claim to be false.