Moratorium, precautionary pause or ban on mining?

Should we mine deep-sea resources or ban the mining of polymetallic nodules? Explore the abyss and gain a better understanding of these mysterious ecosystems? States are taking positions on these issues, and scientists are warning of the consequences of mining these resources.

New discussions are underway this year within the Seabed Authority to decide whether or not to authorise the mining of mineral resources.

Let’s find out a little more about what’s on the horizon for the future of the deep sea.

We know more about the surface of the Moon than we do about the surface of the deep seabed, of which only 5% has been mapped.

Consequently, some countries are considering a moratorium to give researchers time to learn more about the abyss and assess the impact that mining would have on ecosystems and the climate.

Scientists argue that, given the current state of knowledge, mining the abyss would have consequences both for these vulnerable ecosystems, which are still being discovered every day, and for the climate. This is because the action of the machines digging up the soil to recover the precious minerals would cause the carbon sequestered in the sediments to be released. 

Furthermore, in 2020, a trial excavation of a cobalt-rich seamount in Japan resulted in a 43% drop in the density of animals such as fish, shrimp, crabs and ctenophora in the area that had been explored and affected by the movement of sediments during machine activity, and a 53% drop in an adjacent area. 

Even small-scale mining operations could have far wider consequences.

In 2022, at the COP 27 in Egypt, President Macron spoke out in favour of a ban on seabed mining. This stance was confirmed by the French National Assembly on the 17th of January 2023; the deputies voted in favour of a text calling on France to make an international commitment in favour of a moratorium on seabed mining and a ban on seabed mining in the waters under its jurisdiction.

France has an important role to play as it has a maritime area covering almost 10 million km², with 93% of the seabed located below a depth of 1,000 metres. 

In March 2024, some 25 countries came out in favour of a moratorium or precautionary pause on deep-sea mining. Representatives from the fishing industry are also opposed to this mining activity, which, through the displacement of sediments when the mineral is extracted, would cause serious disruption to fauna, even in surface waters, and in particular to tropical tuna. 

In opposition to these countries, other States such as Nauru, China, Norway and Mexico are exerting pressure to allow these minerals to be mined. 

The argument put forward is that the energy transition requires minerals such as nickel and cobalt to produce batteries for wind turbines and photovoltaic panels. Those who reject this position believe that new-generation batteries will no longer have any need for these minerals.

Further discussions were held in March and will subsequently take place in July 2024 within the International Seabed Authority (ISA), which manages the “Area”, on whether or not to issue mining permits and adopt a mining code.

Picture : IFREMER (2007). Morceaux de sulfures du site hydrothermal Logatchev. Ifremer. https://image.ifremer.fr/data/00556/66816/