Tokyo (AFP) – Rules on deep-sea mining in international waters must be driven by “sound science” and built on consensus, the head of the body charged with regulating the divisive practice said Thursday.
Deep-sea mining in international waters involves taking minerals like nickel, cobalt and copper — crucial for renewable energy technology — from the sea floor.
But researchers and environmentalists have long warned it risks destroying habitats and species that are little understood, and could upset delicate processes in the ocean that affect climate change.
The seabed in international waters is governed by the International Seabed Authority (ISA), an independent body established under the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea. The ISA’s Council, which for now only grants exploration contracts, has been drawing up commercial exploitation rules for more than a decade.
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