The current status of environmental requirements for deep seabed mining issued by the International Seabed Authority (original) (raw)
Related papers
Sustainable Seabed Mining and the Phase 1 Environmental Standards and Guidelines
Australian Yearbook of International Law, 2023
The oceans are home to a rich diversity of plant and animal life and a source of food and marine resources that drive economies. Climate change and pollution are changing ocean dynamics and the ability to support life. Seabed mining in areas beyond national jurisdiction will add to the ocean's stressors and could cause severe environmental damage. The International Seabed Authority (“ISA”) is mandated to manage access to and benefits from the seabed, its subsoil and mineral resources in areas beyond national jurisdiction (the “Area”). Although the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea sets out the legal framework for developing the Area and its resources, it does so in broad terms and leaves substantial gaps. These gaps include the scope of activities in the Area, the interrelationship of international obligations, the division of responsibilities between the ISA and sponsoring states, and the regulation of the mining system in situ. To partially fill these gaps, the ISA has drafted a set of “Phase 1” Standards and Guidelines under the Draft Regulations on Exploitation of Mineral Resources in the Area. This paper investigates and critiques five environmental Draft Standards from a precautionary and comparative law perspective. Phase 1 standards and guidelines should adopt a more rigorous interpretation of the precautionary principle. Additional recommendations include creating enhanced governance processes and incorporating an ecosystem-based framework for regional environmental assessments and management plans not present in Draft Standards. This research will assist academics, practitioners, governments, and the ISA with policies and strategies to enhance environmental and social protections from seabed mining.
A review of seabed mining: current developments and environmental impacts
Currently, there are a range of mining operations in the shallow seabed, including diamond mining in Namibia and Tin mining in Indonesia. Due to rising demand for minerals and metals and declining land-based resources, there has been a recent surge of interest in exploration of both shallow and deep sea resources. However, there are environmental concerns with mining the seabed. Only a fraction of the deep sea has been scientifically studied to date and there have been no commercial scale mining trials so far. Nonetheless, given the nature, scale and locations of proposed seabed mining activities serious and, in some cases, widespread negative impacts on habitats and marine life can reasonably be expected. Marine habitats which are being explored for prospective mining include hydrothermal vents (deep sea geysers) which host a unique biodiversity; seamounts (underwater mountains) which support an abundant and rich biodiversity; and manganese nodules which take millions of years to form and support sponges and other marine life. There are conservation concerns regarding the destruction of these habitats by mining, the resulting loss of biodiversity and the uncertainty that habitats and biodiversity may not recover once mining has ceased.
Deep seabed mining: a rising environmental challenge
2018
and Global Sea Mineral Resources NV, Ostend, Belgium) and Phil Weaver (Seascape Consultants Ltd National Oceanography Centre) for the time and advice provided in the course of reviewing this report. There is no question that it benefited greatly from the expertise and perspective they so generously shared. Sandor Mulsow at the ISA provided much-needed maps for this publication, for which we are grateful. We also would like to thank NOAA for making a photographic record of its many deepsea expeditions publicly available and to all the others who allowed us to use their photographs and/or illustrations: Claire Armstrong
Marine Policy, 2014
In 2012 the International Seabed Authority approved an Environmental Management Plan (EMP) for the Clarion-Clipperton Fracture Zone CCZ in the Eastern Central Pacific. The EMP is a proactive spatial management strategy that anticipates mining of polymetallic nodules and that includes the designation of Areas of Particular Environmental Interest (APEIs). The implementation of the EMP and the sound application of marine spatial planning require sufficient high-quality data to inform decision-makers and draw credible boundaries of protected areas. This paper outlines the development of the EMP in the context of the Authority's responsibilities with respect to the protection of the marine environment. The paper further highlights needs for research and data collection and introduces a related EU research project aiming to inform the development of mining guidelines. The authors suggest that the sustainable development of deep sea resources in the CCZ could be considered as a model for blue growth.
Journal of Marine Science and Engineering
The rapidly increasing global populations and socio-economic development in the Global South have resulted in rising demand for natural resources. There are many plans for harvesting natural resources from the ocean floor, especially rare metals and minerals. However, if proper care is not taken, there is substantial potential for long-lasting and even irreversible physical and environmental impacts on the deep-sea ecosystems, including on biodiversity and ecosystem functioning. This paper reviews the literature on some potentials and risks to deep seabed mining (DSM), outlining its legal aspects and environmental impacts. It presents two case studies that describe the environmental risks related to this exploitative process. They include significant disturbance of the seabed, light and noise pollution, the creation of plumes, and negative impacts on the surface, benthic, and meso- and bathypelagic zones. The study suggests some of the issues interested companies should consider in ...
Environmental impacts of deep-sea mining
2021
The urbanization, the rising of the population, the development of technology along with the elevating level of our everyday lives increase the need for mineral resources, which have multiple appliances. Until now, such deposits were found in terrestrial sites, which however, will soon expire. Therefore, the deep sea mining could be the solution to cover humanity’s needs. However, the limited knowledge on deep sea ecosystems and restricted environmental baseline information currently available are prohibiting to move towards the mining of deep-sea resources, as serious harm can be caused to the environment. As the sea has no boundaries, mining activities can have impacts in various places and users of the marine area. To date, only test mining and exploration activities have taken place worldwide, without however moving to the next phase, which is the exploitation of the available deposits. The Authority which regulates the deep-sea area (meaning the marine area beyond national juri...