TOKYO — Japan is actively exploring pathways to mine the deep sea of its exclusive economic zone (EEZ), in an effort to lessen reliance on imported mineral resources needed for advanced and green technologies.
Aiming to be ready to mine by the late 2020s, Japan — one among just a handful of nations actively pursuing deep-sea mining within their own waters — could be among the first nations to exploit the deep sea. The country has completed multiple small-scale mining tests that it claims are world firsts, and it positions itself as a global leader in the “sustainable development” of deep-sea mining.
Critics warn that mining could harm deep-sea ecosystems, including by directly destroying habitat and by releasing plumes of fine particles that currents carry away to smother neighboring habitats. More than 20 countries have called for either a ban, moratorium or precautionary pause on deep-sea mining, and more than 800 marine scientists and other experts have signed a statement calling for a pause.
Well aware of such concerns, the Japanese government is gathering data on deep-sea ecosystems and developing technologies to monitor and minimize mining’s environmental impacts. Its small-scale tests to date have shown lingering impacts to fauna in and near the test sites.
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