Applications from companies that want to mine the ocean’s floor will be accepted by the International Seabed Authority beginning from July, a decision that is coming after the U.N. body spent the past two weeks debating standards for the new and controversial practice.
Deep-sea mining would extract cobalt, copper, nickel, and manganese that are essential battery materials from potato-sized rocks called “polymetallic nodules” on the ocean’s floor at depths of 4 to 6 km (2.5 to 4 miles). The Clarion-Clipperton Zone (CCZ) in the North Pacific Ocean between Hawaii and Mexico have all these in abundance.
The ISA’s governing council formulated a draft decision last Thursday to allow companies to file permit applications starting on July 9, according to a copy seen by reporters.
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According to the document, the ISA’s staff would have three business days to inform the council which plans to meet virtually before July to debate further whether approval of such applications could be delayed once received.
“This deeply irresponsible outcome is a wasted opportunity to send a clear signal … that the era of ocean destruction is over”, said Louisa Casson of Greenpeace, which opposes the practice due in part to concerns it could harm whales and other wildlife.
China remains a leader in deep-sea mining exploration, but Chile, France, Palau and Fiji, among other nations, have called for a global moratorium on the practice, citing environmental concerns and a lack of sufficient scientific data.
Story was adapted from Reuters.
