DSM talks to address safeguarding vulnerable ecosystems
THE FIGHT to safeguard thousands of vulnerable ecosystems in the deep sea is still ongoing. This, as several governments are coming under pressure from business interests to grant them the go-ahead to extract precious minerals from the ocean floor – depths greater than 200 metres.
On Monday, delegates from various nations will convene in Kingston to discuss the rules and regulations pertaining to deep-sea mining (DSM) during the 29th session of the International Seabed Authority (ISA) council.
From March 18-29, the council, which is made up of 26 ISA members – will convene behind closed doors. Conservationists believe that if the call for a ban or an international moratorium is disregarded and the rules and regulations concerning DSM are agreed and adopted, this will be the greatest mining operation that humankind has ever witnessed.
Dubbed a “destructive industry”, it is thought that the risks associated with DSM greatly outweigh the potential advantages for humanity, as there is a possibility of disrupting vital carbon storage and causing the full extinction of critical species and habitats on a large scale.
IRREVERSIBLE IMPACT
The global DSM campaign lead for the Deep Sea Conservation Coalition (DSCC), Sofia Tsenikli, stated that the threat posed by DSM was urgent during a press briefing held on Wednesday, prior to the ISA council meeting.
“We know that mining will cause irreversible and permanent impact on the marine environment and on deep-sea habitats and species. We know that every time there is an expedition, there are new species being discovered and most of them have not been described ... and that’s why it’s so alarming and so very disappointing that some governments are even considering the idea of opening up a completely new industrial activity in the deep sea – the last remaining untouched areas of our planet,” she said.
Continuing, Wilson stated that “in the past or up until now, we didn’t have the [ability] to get to these places. Now we do but... the fact that we can doesn’t mean that we should,” Tsenikli added, noting that by allowing DSM to occur, “we would be repeating the same mistakes that previous generations have done”.
Calls to ban DSM have been issued by 24 governments so far, some being Brazil, Canada, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Mexico, Panama, Sweden, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom.
According to the DSCC, significant amounts of metal-rich mineral deposits, such as copper, cobalt, nickel, and manganese – metals widely employed in industrial and electronic applications – are also found in the deep sea.
The DSCC, comprising more than 100 non-governmental organisations, fisher organisations, and law and policy institutes, collaborates to preserve delicate deep-sea ecosystems; to significantly reduce the biggest risks to marine life; and to ensure the long-term health, integrity, and resilience of deep-sea ecosystems.
Its position is that DSM is not necessary or is it worth the risk and as such, “the most sustainable and far less risky way forward is to make far better use of the metals we’ve already taken while we fast-track the next generation of cleaner batteries... In the interim, it would be better to focus on improving land-based mining than to expand mining into the ocean.”
The DSCC shares that studies have shown that even after small-scale experimental DSM events have occurred, carbon cycling in the deep has still not recovered after 26 years.
Tsenikli further stated that despite a growing resistance worldwide regarding DSM along with numerous calls for caution, the ISA was “pressing on”.
GAPS AND INCONSISTENCIES
The first draft of the consolidated text, which is a draft of regulations for a Mining Code, was released by the ISA Secretariat in February 2024.
However, experts have noted that the text is beset with gaps and inconsistencies, obstructed by a lack of deep-sea science and knowledge, and that it shows how far negotiations have gone in reaching any sort of consensus among states.
Furthermore, The Metals Company, through a two-year legal loophole, has threatened to submit a mining application in the second half of 2024, in the absence of rules and regulations – an issue that states are expected to address.
“The Mining Code that is on the table is very, very, very problematic,” Tsenikli said.
“We’re saying ... states need to take back control of the whole process ... listen to the voices of concern from every side of society ... and press pause and agree upon a precautionary moratorium that gives them enough time to have the debate, have the discussions that are needed to be had with the appropriate time, allowing scientific knowledge to advance and also bringing in all the countries of the ISA,” she said.
The DSCC believes that by 2026, DSM could begin in international waters despite that the fact the crucial work and research required to adopt the necessary regulations, standards and guidelines to manage DSM sustainably is far from complete.