Environmental groups have hailed the change of leadership at the International Seabed Authority as a chance to reset its focus back on scientific reason and the protection of the deep-sea environment, if only it can distance itself far enough from the threats of deep-sea mining – a conversation that according to many, has now run its course.

Over the next two weeks, nations will convene at the International Seabed Authority (ISA) Council meeting in Jamaica to continue negotiations on controversial plans for extraction from the deep-sea bed under the new leadership of Secretary General, Leticia Carvalho.

Under the leadership of Carvalho – a Brazilian oceanographer and international civil servant for the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), hope has been buoyed that ISA’s focus – which has been accused of prioritising the interests of the deep sea mining industry in recent years – could be shifted back towards its mandate of protecting the seabed for all.

Despite this science-driven approach, delegates will be forced to address threats from The Metals Company to submit the world’s first ever deep sea mining application for the international seabed in June without any rules and regulations in place.

The Metals Company will be using the Council this week and next to secure regulatory certainty from governments, calling on governments to deliver a pathway to greenlight the start of deep sea mining despite growing headwinds.

Some of those headwinds being faced include lack of financing; the unavailability of ships and delays with building its equipment; mining test results failing to support industry claims of little harms; a general growing distrust of its viability; and more evidence that opening the ocean frontier will neither actually halt or reduce terrestrial mining for nickel and cobalt.

As a result, the environmental campaign group, Greenpeace has argued, the deep sea mining sector has been driven “to increasingly desperate tactics” to cling on to dwindling support from governments and investors.

Greenpeace International campaigner, Louisa Casson, said: “The deep sea mining industry is crumbling and resorting to increasingly desperate tactics as they lose support. The last weeks have repeatedly shown that companies are failing to live up their hype and downsizing plans before they’ve even started.

“There’s never been a better time for governments to take decisive action to protect the ocean from this faltering, risky industry.”

During the two-week Council meeting, ISA Member States will continue to debate the draft Mining Code, which fails to provide environmental safeguards for the deep-sea. The meeting is being held against the backdrop of increasing pressure as mining companies continue to push for States to decide on the evaluation process in the absence of a Mining Code.

It’s what groups including the Deep Sea Conservation Coalition have called a ‘blatant attempt to exert pressure with the goal of exploitation as soon as possible.’

“We are expecting it to become very clear at the March meeting that the Mining Code will not be adopted any time in the near future,” said Emma Wilson, policy officer at the Deep Sea Conservation Coalition. 

“There are over 200 textual elements that are still under debate, as well as numerous major outstanding issues, ranging from the benefit-sharing mechanism, to contractor liability, to the need for a General Policy for the protection of the environment.

“At this meeting, pro-mining States are requesting to establish a process for assessing a mining application in the absence of a Mining Code. We urge ISA Member States not to be pressured into any hasty decisions that would open the gates to mining going ahead in such a high-risk environment.”

Calls to halt deep-sea mining are escalating worldwide. No fewer than 32 governments are now calling for a moratorium, precautionary pause, or ban alongside Indigenous groups, scientists, businesses, the financial sector, human rights leaders, fishers, and many civil society organisations. These calls are being backed by a consensus of independent scientists who assert there is currently no way to avoid widespread environmental harm if the ISA permits deep-sea mining.

Meanwhile, the Deep Sea Conservation Coalition heavily cites research published just this month which confirms that extending mining into the ocean “is not needed to support the green transition.”

Matthew Gianni, co-founder and political advisor at the Deep Sea Conservation Coalition, said: “The industry faces massive technical hurdles, high operating costs, mounting regulatory and liability risks, and unpredictable prices for metals that the world doesn’t even need to source from the deep seabed.

“Yet, several companies are demanding that the ISA establish regulations to allow them to deep-sea mine in international waters to attempt to make a profit at the expense of ocean health. The economics simply do not support deep-sea mining as a viable or sustainable industry. Deep-sea mining is about greed, not need.”

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