Deep-sea mining is an industry that does not exist today but is eager to take off. After all, the seabed is full of precious minerals that we can use for the energy transition, on the other hand, it is a place where ecosystems have been able to develop untouched for millions of years. Already since 2014, countries have been working on an international agreement setting rules for deep-sea mining in international waters. Who is allowed to mine the seabed, how should the environment be protected and who gets the profits? The agreement is expected to be concluded in 2025, but scientists and activists are sounding the alarm. As far as they are concerned, the effects on the environment and biodiversity are not yet sufficiently known. Time is running out for international regulation of deep-sea mining to prevent irreparable damage to the environment. In this programme, we dive deep in this topic: what exactly is deep-sea mining? What effects are known and what do we not yet know? What can we do now to set up future-proof international regulations?
Over zeven maanden wil het Canadese bedrijf The Metals Company (TMC) een vergunning aanvragen voor diepzeemijnbouw in de Stille Oceaan, nu het bedrijf naar eigen zeggen een belangrijke stap in het benodigde wetenschappelijk onderzoek heeft afgerond.
De mensheid maakt zich op om het laatste stukje aarde te ontdekken én ontginnen. Nu is de oceaanbodem nog het domein van bodemdieren zoals Casper, een pas ontdekte octopussoort.
Michael Lodge, de baas van de Internationale Zeebodemautoriteit, doet er alles aan een akkoord over diepzeemijnbouw te bereiken. Maar hij moet wel afrekenen met de groeiende tegenstand.
Internationaal onderhandelen landen over diepzeemijnbouw en de regels die voor die nieuwe industrie gaan gelden. De vraag wie het meeste profiteert wordt de komende maanden heel relevant.
More and more states and companies are drawn towards the concept of deep-sea mining. The topic raises questions about for example sustainability.
An air of urgency permeates the offices of the International Seabed Authority (ISA), the international agency in Kingston, Jamaica, tasked with regulating mining-related activities on the ocean floor. Overlooking the Caribbean Sea through their windows, representatives from the 168 member states are scrambling to finalize the Mining Code, a rule book that will govern the commercial extraction of deep sea minerals.
