24/7 Space News
WATER WORLD
Why are proposed deep-sea mining rules so contentious?
Why are proposed deep-sea mining rules so contentious?
By Am�lie BOTTOLLIER-DEPOIS
United Nations, United States (AFP) Mar 17, 2025

After more than a decade of negotiations, a new round of talks to finalize a code to regulate deep-sea mining in international waters begins Monday in Jamaica, with hopes high for adoption this year.

The International Seabed Authority (ISA), an independent body established in 1994 under a UN convention, has been working since 2014 on the new rules for developing mineral resources on the ocean floor.

The huge task has gathered pace, under pressure from corporate concerns eager to cash in on the untapped minerals.

Canada's The Metals Company plans to file the first commercial mining license request in June, through its subsidiary Nori (Nauru Ocean Resources Inc.), which hopes to extract polymetallic nodules from the Pacific.

Here is a look at the proposed rules, and why they have sparked intense debate:

- What does this mining code entail? -

Under the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), the ISA must both oversee any exploration or mining of coveted resources (such as cobalt, nickel, or manganese) in international waters, and protect the marine environment.

For activists worried about the protection of hard-to-reach ocean ecosystems, this twin mandate is nonsensical. Some groups, and more and more countries, are asking for a moratorium on seabed mining.

With no consensus, the ISA-led negotiations have continued.

The ISA Council, made up of 36 of the authority's 169 member states, will spend the next two weeks trying to bridge the gaps on finalizing the code.

They are working from a 250-page "consolidated text" already riddled with parenthetical changes, and comments on disagreements.

But then there are dozens of amendments filed by countries, companies and non-governmental organizations.

Emma Wilson of the Deep Sea Conservation Coalition told AFP there were "over 2,000 textual elements that are still being discussed -- and that those debates were "not close to being resolved."

- How would seabed mining work? -

Any entity wishing to obtain a contract to mine the ocean floor must be sponsored by a specific country.

Those applications for mining licenses would first go through the ISA's legal and technical commission, which NGOs say is too pro-industry and opaque.

The commission would evaluate the financial, technical and environmental aspects of the proposed plans, and then make a recommendation to the ISA Council, the final decision-maker.

But some worry that rules already set by UNCLOS would make it too difficult to reject any favorable recommendations.

The draft code calls for initial contracts lasting 30 years, followed up with extensions of five years at a time.

- What about environmental protection? -

Potential mining companies must conduct a survey of the possible environmental risks of their activities, but details on these surveys are still up in the air, with negotiators not yet even agreed on how to define the terms.

More and more countries, along with NGOs, highlight that even the idea of surveying potential impact is effectively impossible, given the lack of scientific data about the zones.

And some Pacific states insist that the code explicitly state the need to protect "underwater cultural heritage," but that is under debate.

- What about compliance? -

The draft text calls for inspections and evaluations for deep-sea mining companies, but how such a system would work is under debate. Some even think such mechanisms are ultimately not all that feasible.

- Will there be profit-sharing? -

Under UNCLOS, resources on the ocean floor are seen as the "common heritage of mankind."

The mining code under consideration stipulates that each company must pay royalties to the ISA based on the value of the metals. But what percentage should they pay?

A working group has proposed royalties of anywhere from three to 12 percent, while African states believe 40 percent is more just.

Related Links
Water News - Science, Technology and Politics

Subscribe Free To Our Daily Newsletters
Tweet

RELATED CONTENT
The following news reports may link to other Space Media Network websites.
WATER WORLD
'Sound science' must guide deep-sea mining: top official
Tokyo (AFP) Mar 13, 2025
Rules on deep-sea mining in international waters must be driven by "sound science" and built on consensus, the head of the body charged with regulating the divisive practice said Thursday. Deep-sea mining in international waters involves taking minerals like nickel, cobalt and copper - crucial for renewable energy technology - from the sea floor. But researchers and environmentalists have long warned it risks destroying habitats and species that are little understood, and could upset delicate ... read more

WATER WORLD
Astronauts finally head home after unexpected nine-month ISS stay

SpaceX Crew Dragon docks with ISS to reach stranded astronauts

Crew launch to ISS paves way for 'stranded' astronauts' return

More wait for stranded astronauts after replacement crew delayed

WATER WORLD
Airbus Selects Rocket Lab to Supply Solar Panels for Next-Gen OneWeb Satellites

Musk's SpaceX faces new setback after Starship explosion

European rocket successfully carries out first commercial mission

Redwire Selected to Develop Concept for Advanced Mars Spacecraft

WATER WORLD
Scientists Develop New Technique to Detect Life in Martian Rock Samples

Researchers analyze river bends to distinguish planetary channel origins

New evidence suggests gypsum deposits on Mars may hold signs of ancient life

Ancient beaches testify to long-ago ocean on Mars

WATER WORLD
Joint initiatives to propel China's commercial space industry forward

China advances manned lunar program for 2030 moon landing

Shenzhou XIX crew successfully tests pipeline inspection robot on space station

Shenzhou 19 Crew Advances Scientific Research and Conducts Training in Space

WATER WORLD
SpaceX launches more Starlink satellites 12 hours after Crew-10 sent to ISS

Spire Global Secures $40 Million in Private Placement

Rocket Lab to twice in three Days, set to complete Kineis IoT constellation

China's first commercial spaceport launches 18 satellites

WATER WORLD
Young Chinese women find virtual love in 'Deepspace'

New platform lets anyone rapidly prototype large, sturdy interactive structures

Eco-friendly rare earth element separation: A bioinspired solution to an industry challenge

Historic fantasy 'Assassin's Creed' sparks bitter battles

WATER WORLD
'Dark oxygen': a deep-sea discovery that has split scientists

TOI-1453 system hosts contrasting super-Earth and low-mass sub-Neptune

Signs of alien life may be hiding in these gases

Planetary system discovered around Barnard's Star

WATER WORLD
NASA's Hubble Telescope May Have Uncovered a Triple System in the Kuiper Belt

NASA's Europa Clipper Leverages Mars for Critical Gravity Assist

Oort cloud resembles a galaxy, new study finds

The PI's Perspective: A New Mission Update for the New Year

Subscribe Free To Our Daily Newsletters




The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2024 - Space Media Network. All websites are published in Australia and are solely subject to Australian law and governed by Fair Use principals for news reporting and research purposes. AFP, UPI and IANS news wire stories are copyright Agence France-Presse, United Press International and Indo-Asia News Service. ESA news reports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additional copyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. All articles labeled "by Staff Writers" include reports supplied to Space Media Network by industry news wires, PR agencies, corporate press officers and the like. Such articles are individually curated and edited by Space Media Network staff on the basis of the report's information value to our industry and professional readership. Advertising does not imply endorsement, agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by Space Media Network on any Web page published or hosted by Space Media Network. General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) Statement Our advertisers use various cookies and the like to deliver the best ad banner available at one time. All network advertising suppliers have GDPR policies (Legitimate Interest) that conform with EU regulations for data collection. By using our websites you consent to cookie based advertising. If you do not agree with this then you must stop using the websites from May 25, 2018. Privacy Statement. Additional information can be found here at About Us.