DEEP SEA MINING

• The International Seabed Authority — the United Nations body that regulates the world’s ocean floor — is preparing to resume negotiations that could open the international seabed for mining.
• Years-long negotiations are reaching a critical point where the authority will soon need to begin accepting mining permit applications, adding to worries over the potential impacts on marine ecosystems.

Deep sea mining

• About: It involves removing mineral deposits and metals from the ocean’s seabed.
• 3 types of Deep sea mining:
  • Taking deposit-rich polymetallic nodules off the ocean floor
  • Mining massive seafloor sulphide deposits
  • Stripping cobalt crusts from rock
• Uses: These nodules, deposits and crusts contain materials, like nickel, rare earths, cobalt etc that are needed for batteries and other materials used in tapping renewable energy & for everyday technology.
• Techniques for deep- sea mining
  • Vacuuming materials from seafloor using massive pumps
  • Developing artificial intelligence-based technology that would teach deep sea robots how to pluck nodules from the floor
  • Using advanced machines that could mine materials off the side of huge underwater mountains and volcanoes

Regulation of deep sea mining

• By countries: Countries manage their own maritime territory and exclusive economic zones
• Regulation of high seas & international ocean floor: These are governed by United Nations Convention on the Law of the Seas. It is considered to apply to states regardless of whether or not they have signed it.

United Nations Convention on the Law of the Seas

• Provisions: Under it, the seabed and its mineral resources are considered the “common heritage of mankind” that must be managed in a way that protects the interests of humanity through:
  • sharing of economic benefits
  • support for marine scientific research
  • protecting marine environments

Environmental Concerns

• Damage to the ecosystems: Scientists worry that ecosystems may be damaged by mining, especially without any environmental protocols.
• Damage from mining: It can include noise, vibration and light pollution, as well as possible leaks and spills of fuels and other chemicals used in the mining process.
• Sediment plumes from mining processes: After extraction, slurry sediment plumes are sometimes pumped back into the sea which can harm filter feeding species like corals and sponges.
• Inevitable biodiversity loss

Reactions by various stakeholders

• ISA’s Legal and Technical Commission: It oversees the development of deep sea mining regulations & will meet soon to discuss the yet-to-be mining code draft.
• Voice raised by companies: COmpanies like Google, Samsung, etc have backed the World Wildlife Fund’s call to pledge to avoid using minerals that have been mined from the planet’s oceans.
• Call for ban by countries: France, Germany and several Pacific Island nations have officially called for a ban, pause or moratorium on deep sea mining at least until environmental safeguards are in place.