World Leadership Falters as Trump Advocates for Mining in Deep Seas, Disregarding Global Concerns
With disregard for global opinion, Donald Trump pushes ahead with deep-sea mining plans, irrespective of the absence of rules governing this burgeoning industry. Critics argue this activity could have dire consequences for our planet's environmental health.
Environmental advocates and scientists have lashed out at the American president, who has also faced the wrath of the International Seabed Authority (ISA), a UN organization consisting of 168 member states. This group has been attempting, for over a decade, to establish a "mining code" to regulate deep-sea mining.
Leticia Carvalho, the ISA's Secretary-General, has voiced concern, stating, "No state has the right to unilaterally exploit the mineral resources of the deep seabed beyond the legal framework established." She urges Trump's administration to lead in underwater mining through international frameworks and emphasizes the "risks" associated with any unilateral action that could disrupt international relations and investment security.
Trump, ignoring such advice, has relied on domestic legislation to issue a decree last week, expediting the examination of mining applications and the granting of exploitation permits, even in international waters. Within a capital what often defies logic, this move is seen as a surprise by the ISA, considering the United States' historic, 30-year involvement in its work.
Beyond the focus on underwater mining, unilateral actions raise alarm since they could establish a dangerous precedent that potentially destabilizes the entire system of ocean governance.
Oceans' Perilous Future
The ISA is at the epicenter of a growing debate, pitting two visions of the oceans' future against one another. One camp advocates for protecting the seabed, while the other champions the exploitation of the minerals found there, primarily for the sake of the energy transition.
Countries advocating for a "precautionary pause" are backed by scientists specializing in oceans and biodiversity, as well as environmental groups defending these "fragile" ecosystems, often uncharted due to their distance from coasts and the extreme depths of targeted zones.
Experts from the Deep Ecosystem Study unit of the French Research Institute for Exploitation of the Sea have already warned about potential impacts of this industry. They cite habitat destruction, plumes of particles, noise, vibrations, resuspension of sediments, and even the release of toxic compounds that could travel vast distances.
Environmental Risks of Deep-Sea Mining
Deep-sea mining poses substantial environmental risks. The main concerns include:
- Habitat destruction and biodiversity loss: Mining operations inflict permanent damage on vulnerable marine ecosystems such as hydrothermal vents and abyssal plains, which are home to unique species not found anywhere else on Earth.
- Sediment plumes and ocean pollution: Mining activities generate sediment plumes that can spread over long distances, releasing heavy metals and toxins into the water column, smothering deep-sea organisms, and disrupting feeding and reproduction processes.
- Disruptions to ocean carbon sequestration: Deep-sea mining may interfere with the ocean's capacity to sequester carbon, potentially exacerbating climate change.
- Impact on fisheries: Mining could harm fisheries by altering marine habitats and affecting the broader food chain.
Deep-sea exploration grants have already been awarded by the ISA to various companies for 15 years. These permits cover areas in the Pacific, Atlantic, and Indian Oceans. The Clarion-Clipperton Zone, a vast region west of Mexico, is particularly coveted, with more than 1.2 million square kilometers of mining permits held by 16 promoters. Analysts estimate over 20 billion tons of polymetallic nodules could be found in these seabeds.
Recently, the Canadian company The Metals Company seized the opportunity presented by Trump's decision to announce the submission of the first application for mining exploration in international waters. This commercial exploitation application concerns plots spanning over 25,000 km².
The company justified this move bypassing the ISA, citing the authority's slow adoption of the "mining code" that would establish rules for mining extraction in the seabed, which the UN considers the "common heritage of mankind."
Sources:
- United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS)
- International Seabed Authority (ISA)
- Deep-Ecosystem Study unit of the French Research Institute for Exploitation of the Sea
- International Waters
For further reading, explore the following topics:
- Arduous negotiations on deep-sea mining
- Donald Trump and threats to marine environments
Further Resources:
- The Metals Company
- TMC USA (subsidiary of The Metals Company)
- Clarion-Clipperton Zone
- International Workers' Day
- Bill 89
- Permanent residence delays in Quebec
- Tragedy in a Laval daycare
- Pierre Ny St-Amand's bus accident
- Maple Spring (Québécois student movement)
- The International Seabed Authority (ISA) is at the center of a heated debate over deep-sea mining, with some advocating for marine protection and others supporting mineral exploitation for energy transition purposes.
- Countries advocating for a "precautionary pause" in deep-sea mining are backed by scientists and environmental groups concerned about the potential destruction of unique ecosystems and the release of toxic compounds.
- Scientists from the Deep Ecosystem Study unit of the French Research Institute for Exploitation of the Sea have warned about various environmental risks associated with deep-sea mining, such as habitat destruction, ocean pollution, disruptions to carbon sequestration, and impacts on fisheries.
- The ISA has been establishing a "mining code" for over a decade to regulate deep-sea mining activities, but unilateral actions such as those taken by Donald Trump could potentially disrupt this process and set a dangerous precedent.
- The Canadian company The Metals Company has seized the opportunity presented by Trump's decision to bypass the ISA and submit the first application for deep-sea mining exploration in international waters.
- Ignoring advice from environmental advocates and organizations like the ISA, Trump has pursued deep-sea mining plans with disregard for the potential climate-change and environmental-science implications, as well as the need for policy-and-legislation and political consideration.
