U.N. body chief hopes industry can help vulnerable states; ecosystem a concern
TOKYO — International discussions on deep-sea mining resume Monday amid growing interest in countries such as the U.S., which see resources under the oceans as a potential way of diversifying supply chains for critical minerals.
Vast reserves of materials such as copper, nickel and cobalt — now in high demand as a material in batteries and other strategic products — are believed to exist in crusts and nodules across various areas of the sea floor. Hotspots for exploration and extraction include international waters outside any country’s exclusive zone, where there is not yet a regulatory framework in place for commercial mining.
Efforts to establish one are underway through the International Seabed Authority (ISA), a United Nations body of 168 member states and the European Union, which oversees the high seas. The grouping will restart negotiations in Jamaica on Monday toward adopting exploitation regulations by 2025.
Over 10 countries, from the U.K. to China to India, have already engaged in exploratory mining activities in international waters to gather data and develop extraction technologies.
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