In the Race to Mine the Seabed, China Takes a Hard Line
A meeting of the UN-affiliated agency that regulates deep-sea mining ended with most nations refusing to accept mining applications until regulations exist.
Quack Pirihi of Greenpeace International addresses the International Seabed Authority’s Assembly on July 28.
Photographer: Diego Noguerar/IISD/ENB
In an international showdown that is pitting China against dozens of other nations, one company’s quest to strip-mine the seabed for valuable metals has hit a roadblock.
Friday marked the conclusion of three weeks of tense meetings at the International Seabed Authority (ISA), a United Nations-affiliated organization that regulates the nascent deep-sea mining industry. The ISA’s 36-nation policymaking body, known as the Council, convened at its headquarters in Kingston, Jamaica, to discuss whether the organization will act on any mining applications it receives from companies. Its conclusion was ‘not yet’: Most delegations said they wouldn't approve any applications until the ISA puts mining regulations in place. The session ended with an agreement to work “with a view” to adopting such regulations in 2025, but didn’t set a binding deadline.