A Canadian deep-sea mining company has disclosed that it has been in talks with the Trump administration to circumvent a UN treaty, potentially securing permission from the US to conduct mining operations in international waters.
This announcement has shocked environmentalists, who have denounced the action as “reckless” and a “disregard for multilateralism.”
The news emerges amidst growing demands for a halt in deep-sea mining activities. Over 30 nations are advocating for a moratorium, citing insufficient data for seabed exploitation, while scientists have cautioned that industrial mining could lead to irreversible biodiversity loss.
In a statement released on Thursday, Gerard Barron, CEO of The Metals Company (TMC), stated: “We believe we possess adequate knowledge to commence operations and demonstrate our capacity to manage environmental risks.”
The International Seabed Authority talks in Kingston, Jamaica. Photograph: IISD
“What we require is a regulatory body with a robust framework, prepared to give our application an equitable evaluation. This is why we have formally commenced the process of applying for the necessary licenses and permits under the current US seabed mining code,” he added.
This week, nations have been convening in Jamaica at the UN-affiliated International Seabed Authority (ISA) to establish rules governing the extraction of metals like copper and cobalt from the seabed.
Discussions also revolved around the implications of a mining application being lodged prior to the establishment of regulations. The ISA council has asserted that no application should be reviewed until its rules are finalized, a process that is still distant.
The Metals Company indicated it has begun a procedure with the US Department of Commerce to request exploration and permits for mineral extraction from the ocean floor. It intends to apply under the 1980 Deep Seabed Hard Mineral Resources Act rather than through the ISA and is proceeding “with urgency.”
TMC has conducted extensive exploratory activities in the Clarion-Clipperton Zone, a section of the Pacific Ocean seabed between Mexico and Hawaii, known for its richness in polymetallic nodules as well as a variety of recently discovered species.
The ISA, created in 1994 under a treaty ratified by 169 member nations plus the EU, holds jurisdiction over mining operations in international waters and determines how extraction should be carried out. However, the US has yet to ratify the treaty.
Louisa Casson, a campaigner for Greenpeace International, remarked: “This announcement is an affront to international collaboration,” adding that it serves as “an insult to multilateralism.”
Duncan Currie, a legal advisor for the Deep Sea Conservation Coalition, commented: “TMC seems to be shifting from seabed mining without regulations to seabed mining entirely outside of all international frameworks. A moratorium is essential to prevent such international disputes, discord, and chaos.”
Georgina María Guillén Grillo, a representative from Costa Rica at the ISA discussions, told the New York Times: “This seems to be a completely inappropriate action by the Metals Company.”
