A different kind of war is emerging beneath the depths of the seas, highlighted by a report from BBC, which points to international discussions in Jamaica starting today, Monday, to discuss the controversial issue of permitting deep-sea mining. The conference follows a two-year moratorium on such activities due to the failure of countries to reach an agreement on new regulatory rules. Scientists fear a potential "scramble" for precious minerals at the depths of the oceans, which could have dire consequences for marine life. However, supporters argue that these minerals are essential to meet global demand for environmentally friendly green technology.
The report explains that "the controversy began in 2021 when the small island of Nauru in the Pacific officially submitted a request to the International Seabed Authority, a UN body that oversees mining in international waters, for a commercial license to start deep-sea mining. This move prompted a provision setting a two-year deadline for the organization to decide on the request, despite the existence of minimal regulations in place. Since then, countries have been meeting in an effort to finalize rules regarding environmental monitoring and ownership sharing, but these efforts have not been successful."
Kingston, Jamaica is currently hosting a three-week meeting for discussions, amid increasing objections to deep-sea mining for commercial purposes to collect rocks containing precious minerals. Nearly 200 countries, including Switzerland, Spain, and Germany, are calling for a halt or suspension of this activity due to environmental concerns, and it is now anticipated that countries will have the opportunity to vote on a new ban during the upcoming month.
Although the United Kingdom has not been invited to support a new ban, a government spokesperson told BBC: "The UK will maintain its precautionary stance of not supporting the issuance of any exploration licenses until sufficient scientific evidence is available regarding the potential impact on deep-sea ecosystems." Marine scientists have raised concerns about limited research in the depths of the oceans to study the animals and plants living there and the potential repercussions that deep-sea mining could cause.
Experts say that the technology potentially used to collect minerals from the seabed can generate significant noise and light pollution, as well as release plumes of sediment that pose a choking hazard to filter-feeding species, according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature.
