Norway Just Raised the Stakes Over Deep Sea Mining
The Nordic nation authorized seabed mining activities in its waters, exacerbating global tensions over strip-mining ocean ecosystems.
Protesters during a demonstration against seabed mining outside the Norwegian Parliament building in Oslo on Jan. 9.
Photographer: Javad Parsa/AFP/Getty ImagesThe Norwegian Parliament this week greenlit seabed mining exploration in the country’s territorial waters, a decision that contravenes the advice of government scientists and is set to intensify the global fight over strip-mining biodiverse deep ocean ecosystems.
The Jan. 9 determination makes Norway one of the first countries to formally authorize seabed mining activities in its waters, potentially triggering a race to the bottom of the ocean as nations vie for strategic minerals such as cobalt and nickel that are used in EV batteries and other green technologies. (Papua New Guinea became the first county to approve seabed mining in 2011.) The decision could add to the turmoil over a years-long effort by a United Nations-affiliated organization, of which Norway is an influential member, to write regulations for mining in international waters before allowing such mining to proceed.