No deep-sea mining approved as ISA Council ends, despite continued push to start a failing industry. The Deep Sea Conservation Coalition (DSCC) is calling for the international community to urgently establish a moratorium on destructive deep-sea mining to prevent irreversible harm to ocean ecosystems and protect the rights of current and future generations.
The International Seabed Authority (ISA) Council Meeting concluded without a decision to adopt a mining code and has previously reinforced that mining should not start without such regulations being in place. It also initiated an investigation into the actions of The Metals Company subsidiaries with respect to the application for deep-seabed mining under the United States.
Sofia Tsenikli, DSCC Campaign Director, said:
“Deep-sea mining has already proven itself to be a rogue and toxic industry, and rushing to mine the ocean represents a shortcut to disaster. Instead of spending time and money trying to regulate this highly damaging and speculative activity, States must urgently put in place a moratorium on extraction and prioritise scientific research that can truly benefit us all. By protecting the deep sea – the common heritage of humankind – States can safeguard our planet’s last pristine areas and the rights of our children and grandchildren to live their lives on a healthy planet.”
Discussions over the past two weeks have laid bare the sheer scale and complexity of unresolved regulatory issues and multiple, outstanding matters that the international community must grapple with, placing further hurdles in front of the deep-sea mining industry. The Council identified four themes encompassing further issues that require resolution. These are Environmental matters; Financial matters; Regulatory, procedural and institutional matters and Governance matters.
This reflects growing concerns from a wide range of stakeholders, including scientists, Indigenous leaders, leading businesses, and banks, about the risks of opening up the ocean to destructive deep-sea mining. The safest and smartest course of action is a moratorium.
Meanwhile, governments at the ISA are under growing pressure from The Metals Company (TMC), which continues to pursue a controversial plan to mine international waters unilaterally through the U.S., a move widely condemned by ISA Member States.
In light of this, the Council initiated an investigation into whether mining contractors, including TMC, are complying with their legal obligations under their existing agreements at the International Seabed Authority and the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). This is a significant and necessary step for the body responsible for managing and safeguarding the international deep seabed, which acts as a deterrent to other industry actors who may be considering this rogue route.
Duncan Currie, Legal Advisor, said:
“These legal steps are only the first steps to addressing the chaos caused by TMC’s efforts to circumvent the International Seabed Authority. A global moratorium provides the clarity and security that our ocean and global community desperately needs. It strengthens multilateralism, helps to prevent unilateral action, safeguards the deep sea from destruction, and creates space to conduct more science necessary for informed decision-making for the benefit of us all. A moratorium represents a strong commitment to precaution, evidence-based decision-making, equity, and environmental protection.”
Matthew Gianni, DSCC Co-Founder and Political Advisor, said:
“The ISA has agreed to initiate an investigation and it must be clear by now to TMC and its subsidiaries that they face a significant risk of losing their exploration contracts. The ISA is obliged to act for the benefit of humankind as a whole – the Common Heritage Principle – and not for the benefit of companies prepared to undermine international law to make a profit at the expense of the health of our ocean.”
The Council meeting came just weeks after the 3rd United Nations Ocean Conference (UNOC) in Nice, where heads of state, ministers, and leaders from around the world warned against opening the deep sea to mining and reaffirmed the need for a moratorium. Thirty-seven governments now back a moratorium, precautionary pause, or ban. This past week, 40 financial institutions, representing over €3.8 trillion of combined assets, reaffirmed that deep-sea mining must not go ahead until the risks are comprehensively understood and the alternatives fully explored.
The DSCC is calling on ISA Member States to carry that momentum from UNOC into next week’s Assembly meeting and advance a moratorium that protects the ocean and strengthens multilateralism.