In what has been hailed an “historic victory for nature and one of the planet’s last untouched ecosystems” by marine and environmental groups around the world, the Norwegian government has agreed to stop plans to open up its seabed for commercial-scale deep-sea mining.

Oslo had initially adopted some very controversial plans to allow companies to apply to mine some 280,000 square-kilometres (108,000 square miles) – an area larger than the size of the UK – of its waters for precious metals, meeting the ire of conservation NGOs across the globe.

In a turn of fortune for environmentalists and conservation groups, the move was finally blocked after the country’s Socialist Left Party said it would not support the government’s budget unless it scrapped the first licensing round, a round which had been set for some time in 2025.

It’s a move that has been hailed as “absolutely fantastic” by Greenpeace Norway’s leader, Frode Pleym, who added that “mining on the seabed is gambling with marine life.”

“SV (Norway’s Socialist Left Party) has secured an enormously important and historic impact for nature,” Added Pleym.

The deep seas are some of the last pristine ecosystems left on the planet. Stern warnings have been issued from all quarters of the environmental sector, including from the scientific, that opening the deep seabed up for mining “could be catastrophic for marine life”. Oslo stood very much alone in its plans for deep seabed mining, having faced opposition to its plan from no fewer than 32 countries including France, Canada, Brazil, and Germany.

“Finally, the Labour Party and the Centre Party have listened to the combined demands of people, fishermen, and researchers who have been crystal clear that the government’s urgent process has been a disaster,” said Pleym. “Rather than investing in destroying the sea, the Storting must follow up on the mineral strategy and invest in good, circular measures that have already been fully developed and are ready to be put into use.”

Much criticism has been hurled at Norway when it emerged that it would become the first country to allow mining on the seabed. In November, the Nordic Council decided it would support a moratorium – a temporary ban – against the industry. Although the resolution is not binding, it is a clear signal, says Greenpeace Norway, that mining on the seabed is unacceptable.

Norway’s Prime Minister, Jonas Gahr Stoer, however, said Sunday’s development was a “postponement” and that preparatory work on regulations and environmental impact would continue. The country’s energy ministry has not yet commented.

While the move may be labelled by politicians as ‘temporary’, activists and marine conservation NGOs believe the timing of the delay provides a “final nail on the coffin” for plans to mine Norway’s deep seabed. 

“Not opening the seabed for mineral extraction has been important for SV to get approval for. We do not have power forever, but the most important thing is that the announcement does not take place now in this parliamentary term,” said SV leader, Kristi Bergstø.

The Norwegian government’s consultation proposal for the first round of licences for the extraction of seabed minerals – which includes lithium, scandium, and cobalt – includes 386 blocks. The combined area of all the blocks corresponds to an area twice the size of Denmark.

At least three Norwegian mining companies, including Loke Marine Minerals, Green Minerals, and Adepth Minerals, have previously said they plan to apply for the first round of licences. It’s a process that starts with a mapping phase, where companies map an area to find out if there are enough minerals to start a mine. This involved extensive drilling, and could have serious consequences for life on the seabed. After this survey has been completed, the company submits a plan for recovery. The Storting has demanded that the first plans must have their approval before mining can start.

Green Minerals – one of the start-ups looking to mine the marine space – said it expected a delay of up to a year following the plan’s suspension.

Click here for more from the Oceanographic Newsroom.