Deep sea mining

More than one thousand signatures from 34 countries and 56 indigenous groups are calling for a total ban on this industry. 

The 28th Session of the International Seabed Authority (ISA) meeting resumed discussions in Kingston over a week ago, where delegates had to decide whether to give course to the first commercial plan to mine the seabed which could begin operations as early as this year.

PMN News reports the activists are challenging governments and the International Seabed Authority to enact a ban on Deep Sea Mining effective immediately.

They handed the conference a petition from more than 1,000 people across 34 countries and 56 indigenous groups calling for a ban to the deep-sea mining industry.

PMN News reports Hawaiian activist Solomon Kaho’ohalahala addressed the delegates with a traditional chant explaining "the ocean is our country and we come from the deepest depths of the seas".

He says indigenous people who rely on the ocean in their lives need to be considered. 

“We are calling for an immediate ban on deep sea mining because we need drastic changes in the way we manage our oceans. 

A Belgian company, Global Sea Mineral Resources, has been trialling a robot prototype, Patania II, in the Clarion-Clipperton Zone, which lies between Hawaii and Mexico.

The machine is meant to collect the potato-sized nodules rich in cobalt, and other metals used in batteries, that pepper the seabed in this area.

It was connected to a ship with a five-kilometre cable, but the company says it has come free and is now resting on the seafloor.

An operation to reconnect it is under way.

Despite our negligible contribution to global emissions, our people are uniquely vulnerable to the impacts of climate change. Rising seas and more frequent extreme weather have left the future of our blue economies in the balance.

As we celebrate World Ocean Day, we reaffirm our intent to conserve and sustainably use the ocean, while also recognising the part it plays in our future economic viability. As states whose history has been shaped by responsible stewardship of the ocean, seabed mining is a welcome and exciting development.

However, there have been warnings that mining the seabed could cause environmental problems and could harm Tonga’s whale watching industry.

Paula Ma’u, CEO of the Ministry of Meteorology, Energy, Information, Disaster Management, Environment, Climate Change and Communications, said eight ministries were developing a plan to sustain the ocean around the kingdom.

“We are still at the exploration stage only now as far as deep sea mining is concerned,” Ma’u said.

They are the latest information resources developed for stakeholders interested in this emerging sector through the European Union-supported Deep Sea Minerals Project, implemented by the Pacific Community (SPC).

The report aims to assist Pacific Island countries with their decision making concerning deep sea minerals and provide information about the potential magnitude of the impacts of deep sea mining.

Effective management of this revenue will be critical to ensure that long term benefits are realised.

Through the European Union Deep Sea Minerals Project, the Secretariat of the Pacific Community (SPC) is partnering with the International Monetary Fund and the Pacific Financial Technical Assistance Centre to hold a workshop in Nadi this week (24-27 August) that focuses on the management of revenue emanating from deep sea minerals development.