Attenborough calls for end to ocean digging

SIR David Attenborough has called for the Government to halt deep sea mining – as it could poison the seas and kill creatures as yet unknown to science.

Only recently has technology been developed to exploit metal and mineral resources up to a mile below the ocean’s surface – known as deep sea mining.

A Fauna & Flora International report calls for a moratorium on moves to exploit the deep sea for minerals that are in increasingly high demand for use mobile phones and batteries.

Scientists warn that it could disrupt largely unstudied ecosystems.

Sir David, vice-president of FFI, said considering the destruction of deep sea places before people have understood them ‘is beyond reason’.

‘The rush to mine this pristine and unexplored environment risks creating terrible impacts that cannot be reversed.

‘We need to be guided by science when faced with decisions of such great environmental consequence,’ he said.

A Government spokesman said: ‘We will not issue a single exploitation licence without a full assessment of the environmental impact.’