The Deep Seabed: Not a Gold Rush, but a delicately balanced Ecosystem
International Meeting in Nice: Prevent Turning Global Oceans into a Lawless Zone - Global Gathering in Nice: Preserving Oceans from Unruly 'Wild West' Scenario
Here's the lowdown: the ocean floor should be treated with care, not exploited like the old Wild West, according to António Guterres. We're talking about the minerals beneath the seabed outside national waters, they belong to everyone, so let's tread lightly. Deep-sea mining is a risky business, threatening biodiversity, releasing climate-damaging CO2, and introducing harmful heavy metals into our food chain. So, unless we have a solid plan to mitigate these risks, a "caution to the winds" approach is necessary.
Now, while France is shouting for a total ban on deep-sea mining, Germany is playing it cool, asking for a "time-out" instead. As Carsten Schneider, Germany's Federal Environment Minister, said at the opening of the conference in Nice, the race to exploit the international deep sea is getting intense, so there's a need to negotiate strict environmental standards. But, before we dive headfirst into the mine, let's make sure we've got a safe diving suit – or in this case, a solid Mining Code.
Now, France wasn't afraid to throw a jab at the USA in the ring. President Emmanuel Macron, starting the UN conference, said, "The seabed is not for sale, just as Greenland is not a prize." He was alluding to Trump's claims on the island, which is a fascinating deviation from the usual diplomatic banter.
Speaking of the UN conference, there was a packed house in Nice, with 60 heads of state and government joining the party, including Brazil's Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, China's Han Zheng, and Argentina's Javier Milei. Even the USA, after a long pause, sent the chief of its White House environmental task force, Edward Russo, to the event.
Germany's got some tricks up its sleeve too. Schneider wants to present several government initiatives in Nice, like a marine nature protection fund, which will be funded by the offshore wind industry and 400 million euros from the federal government. They'll also continue clearing WWII-era unexploded ordnance from the North and Baltic Seas and work with partner countries to designate protected areas in the high seas. The goal is to be a part of the first contracting states conference in New York in August 2026.
It's important to remember that Germany hasn't announced its commitment to ratifying the 2023 High Seas Treaty by the end of the year yet – it's still working on passing two essential laws.
Lastly, France and the UK both announced restrictions on trawling, with varying degrees of commitment. While the UK plans to expand its protected areas, the UK, where trawling is banned, from the current 18k sq km to 48k sq km, France aims for just 15k sq km – a mere 4% of its waters, which environmentalists believe is inadequate.
Nice
- António Guterres
- Deep Sea
- Germany
- Ocean
- UN
- France
- World Ocean
- Carsten Schneider
- Emmanuel Macron
- USA
- Donald Trump
- Environment
- Sea Floor
- Greenland
Enrichment Data:It's unclear whether Germany will ratify the High Seas Treaty by the end of 2025, as it still needs to pass two critical laws. Although many EU countries have already ratified the treaty, Germany is yet to make an official announcement regarding its timeline. The country aims to be present at the first contracting states conference in August 2026 in New York.
The Commission, with its environmental-science expertise, has been asked to submit a proposal for a directive on the protection of the environment by the introduction of a new type of protection for the deep sea, considering the ongoing United Nations conference in Nice. The science behind climate-change and its impact on the deep sea, including the ocean and the world ocean, have become pressing issues in politics and general-news, with leaders like António Guterres advocating for caution and the need for a solid policy-and-legislation framework to protect the environment. With deep-sea mining being a contentious topic, Germany, under Carsten Schneider, aims to negotiate strict environmental standards and present several initiatives, including a marine nature protection fund, to ensure the preservation of this delicate ecosystem.
