UK Pushes for Binding Deep-Sea Mining Moratorium at International Seabed Authority
The United Kingdom is leading a coalition of countries at the International Seabed Authority seeking to establish a binding moratorium on commercial deep-sea mining before regulatory frameworks are finalised, arguing that scientific understanding of deep-ocean ecosystems is insufficient to assess the long-term consequences of industrialising the seabed at a time when several companies are progressing their commercial applications for licences to mine polymetallic nodules from the Pacific and Atlantic ocean floors.
Deep-sea mining targets mineral deposits concentrated in nodules that form over millions of years on the abyssal plains of the world’s oceans. The nodules contain manganese, cobalt, copper and rare earth elements in concentrations that their developers argue could supply critical materials for the battery technologies needed for the clean energy transition. Advocates of the industry argue that mining the seabed could reduce dependence on problematic terrestrial supply chains, particularly for cobalt from the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Environmental scientists counter that the deep ocean floor, while remote and largely invisible to public attention, is home to extraordinary biodiversity that is barely catalogued, let alone understood in ecological terms. The mining process involves disturbing sediment across large areas and the resuspension of that sediment in plumes that can travel hundreds of kilometres, potentially affecting filter-feeding organisms and disrupting ocean chemistry across regions far beyond the immediate mine site.
The UK’s position, supported by Pacific island nations, France and several Nordic countries, calls for a mandatory pause on commercial licensing until comprehensive environmental impact assessments can be conducted using standards robust enough to identify significant risks. The moratorium proposal faces opposition from countries including Japan, China and several sponsoring states for commercial mining operations.
