The International Seabed Authority (ISA), the United Nations body, was meeting in Kingston until August 2. An increasing number of countries are advocating for a moratorium on deep-sea mining.
Five new countries have declared their support for a moratorium on deep-sea mining: Austria, Guatemala, Honduras, Malta, and Tuvalu, during the ISA session held in Jamaica from July 15 to August 2. This brings the total number of states worldwide advocating against deep-sea mining until better knowledge and understanding of the ecological impact are achieved to 32. Although still a minority, this number is growing each year. During the 2023 ISA session, Sweden and Ireland also supported the call for a pause. Irish ministers emphasized that no deep-sea mining should occur until a robust regulatory framework is established to protect the marine environment and until scientific knowledge is sufficient for informed decision-making. France shares this position, as expressed by Olivier Poivre d’Arvor, Ambassador for Polar and Marine Issues: « We, the French, consider it absurd and dangerous to exploit these depths when we do not understand these ecosystems, which are fragile and store carbon. »
Source: Ouest France
