Taking place in Jamaica, they come as scientists are increasingly concerned at the impact this form of mining could have on the environment and marine life with the prospect of a ‘goldrush’ in the search for precious metals.
The debate over this form of mining was triggered by an application for a commercial licence by the Pacific Island of Nauru back in 2021 to the International Seabed Authority, the UN organisation set up to monitor mining in international waters.
While supporters of seabed mining, which includes Norway, the UK, South Korea and Japan, argue that these minerals are needed if the world is to meet the demand for green technologies there are many who are opposed and calling for a pause or moratorium on the practice over environmental concerns and the impact deep sea mining could have on local ecosystems.
Mining in this environment generates noise and light pollution and can displace vast amounts of sediment to the detriment of species.
To date the ISA has issues 31 exploration contracts to companies, while countries are free to undertake exploration in their national waters.
While deep-sea mining offers access to metals such as copper, cobalt and nickel needed for technologies such as mobile phones, wind turbines and EV batteries, these minerals are still relatively abundant on land and many, like cobalt, are already being phased out as battery technologies evolve.
Can we really afford to destroy a critical eco-system about which we know relatively little?
