Deep sea mining permits may be coming soon. What are they and what might happen?

Subject :Geography

Section: Economic geography

Context:

The International Seabed Authority — the United Nations body that regulates the world’s ocean floor — is preparing to resume negotiations that could open the international seabed for mining, including for materials critical for the green energy transition.

WHAT IS DEEP SEA MINING?

Deep-sea mining involves removing mineral deposits and metals from the ocean’s seabed.
There are three types of such mining:
- Taking deposit-rich polymetallic nodules off the ocean floor,
- Mining massive seafloor sulphide deposits and
- Stripping cobalt crusts from rock.
These nodules, deposits and crusts contain materials, such as nickel, rare earths, cobalt and more, that are needed for batteries and other materials used in tapping renewable energy and also for everyday technology like cellphones and computers.

Technology involved:

Engineering and technology used for deep sea mining are still evolving. Some techniques considered by the companies are:
- Vacuuming the materials from the seafloor using massive pumps.
- Developing artificial intelligence-based technology that would teach deep sea robots how to pluck nodules from the floor.
- Using advanced machines that could mine materials off the side of huge underwater mountains and volcanoes.

HOW IS DEEP-SEA MINING REGULATED NOW?

Countries manage their own maritime territory and exclusive economic zones, while the high seas and the international ocean floor are governed by the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Seas.
It is considered to apply to states regardless of whether or not they have signed or ratified it.
- Under the treaty, the seabed and its mineral resources are considered the “common heritage of mankind” that must be managed in a way that protects the interests of humanity through the sharing of economic benefits, support for marine scientific research, and protecting marine environments.
Mining companies interested in deep sea exploitation are partnering with countries to help them get exploration licenses.
More than 30 exploration licenses have been issued so far, with activity mostly focused in an area called the Clarion-Clipperton Fracture Zone, which spans 1.7 million square miles (4.5 million square kilometers) between Hawaii and Mexico.

WHY IS THERE PRESSURE ON THE ISA TO ESTABLISH REGULATIONS NOW?

In 2021 the Pacific island nation of Nauru — in partnership with mining company Nauru Ocean Resources Inc, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Canada-based The Metals Company — applied to the ISA to exploit minerals in a specified deep sea area.
That triggered a clause of the UN treaty that requires the ISA to complete regulations governing deep sea exploitation by July 2023.
If no regulations are finalized, Nauru can submit an application to conduct the mining without any governing regulations.
Other countries and private companies can start applying for provisional licenses if the UN body fails to approve a set of rules and regulations by July 9.

WHAT ARE THE ENVIRONMENTAL CONCERNS?

Only a small part of the deep seabed has been explored and conservationists worry that ecosystems will be damaged by mining, especially without any environmental protocols.
Damage from mining can include noise, vibration and light pollution, as well as possible leaks and spills of fuels and other chemicals used in the mining process.
Sediment plumes from some mining processes are a major concern.
- Once valuable materials are taken extracted, slurry sediment plumes are sometimes pumped back into the sea.
- That can harm filter-feeding species like corals and sponges and could smother or otherwise interfere with some creatures.
Scientists have warned that biodiversity loss is inevitable and potentially irreversible.

WHAT’S NEXT?

The ISA’s Legal and Technical Commission, which oversees the development of deep-sea mining regulations, will meet in early July to discuss the yet-to-be-mining code draft.
In the meantime, some companies — such as Google, Samsung, BMW and others — have backed the World Wildlife Fund’s call to pledge to avoid using minerals that have been mined from the planet’s oceans.
More than a dozen countries—including France, Germany and several Pacific Island nations— have officially called for a ban, pause or moratorium on deep sea mining at least until environmental safeguards are in place.
Other countries, such as Norway, are proposing opening their waters to mining.

About International Seabed Authority:

It is an autonomous international organization established under the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).
Mandate: It has the mandate to ensure the effective protection of the marine environment from harmful effects that may arise from deep-seabed-related activities.
It has its headquarters in Kingston, Jamaica
Its primary function is to regulate the exploration of poly-metallic nodules.

What are poly-metallic nodules?

Polymetallic nodules are rounded accretions of manganese and iron hydroxides that cover vast areas of the seafloor.
These are most abundant on abyssal plains at water depths of 4000-6500 metres.
They are mainly found in the north-central Pacific Ocean, the southeastern Pacific Ocean, and the northern Indian Ocean.