According to the charity it has found evidence that deep-seabed mining of rare minerals could cause “extensive and irreversible” damage to the planet.
The report comes at a time of growing controversy around proposals to sweep the ocean floor for rare minerals because land supplies are now running low.
“The ocean plays a critical role in the basic functioning of our planet, and protecting its delicate ecosystem is not just critical for marine biodiversity but for all life on Earth,” said Sophie Benbow, the organisation’s marine director.
Fauna & Flora raised concerns back in 2020 and since then its research suggests that should seabed mining go ahead it could cause widespread pollution, destroy global fish stocks and obliterate marine ecosystems.
Not only would mining deep-sea zones cause irreparable damage to the environment but it could also release vast amounts of carbon, currently locked into the seabed, exacerbating the global crisis we are experiencing through rising greenhouse gas levels.
“Mining means destruction, and in this case it means the destruction of an ecosystem about which we know pathetically little,” said David Attenborough.
As always, the efforts of environmentalists are coming up against our insatiable need for resources. Manganese, nickel and cobalt are said to ‘litter’ the ocean floor and they’re essential to the manufacture of devices that are needed to replace carbon-emitting lorries, power plants and factories.
Mining companies have looked to defend their plans and point out that drilling for mineral reserves on land is even more damaging to the planet’s stressed ecosystems – so is the ocean a better option, or are they simply opening up more of the planet to mining?
There is growing pressure on the International Seabed Authority (ISA) – which is responsible for regulating mining – to allow mining to take place on an increased scale.
So, what should be done? Once lost, we won’t be able to restore deep-sea biodiversity and do we really want to inflict on our oceans the type of environmental damage seen in the Amazon?
Surely, before we allow mining to take place, we should better understand its impact and work to make sure that the effective protection of the seabed is ensured.
As the report concluded: “We’ve already destroyed so much of our planet that we cannot get back. We simply cannot let our oceans suffer the same fate.”
