International Seabed Authoritythe underwater mining to debate: negotiations end in the International Seabed Authority in Jamaica in which there has been debate about the beginning of the underwater mining. Five new countries join the fight to achieve a precautionary pause against the underwater miningthere are already 32 nations that want to stop this destructive industry.
The underwater mining is a emerging commercial extractive industry that corporations, startups and their government allies are trying to launch with the goal of destroy the seabed to obtain minerals and metals.
Leticia Carvalho is appointed new Secretary General of the International Seabed Authoritynow we need to change the course of the International Seabed Authority in favor of ocean conservation.
Leticia Carvalho has just been elected with the promise of bringing much-needed transparency and accountability to this organization of vital importance for the future of the oceans. The new Secretary General must put ocean health at the center of the International Seabed Authority.
People around the world, looking at what has happened here this past week, are seeing a growing wave of resistance to underwater mining, as well as companies that discredit the scientific work and cultural heritage of indigenous peoples.
Underwater mining
We hope that the new Secretary General will take the helm and work with governments to change the course of the International Seabed Authority and that it serves the public interest, since for too long it has been directed by the narrow corporate interests of the seabed mining industry,” said Marta Martín-Borregón, head of oceans at Greenpeace.
More than 30 countries are now calling for a halt to the start of the underwater miningwith five new announcements in support of a precautionary pause or moratorium in the last 48 hours in the negotiations of the International Seabed Authority. Tuvalu, which until now had supported the underwater miningjoined Austria, Honduras, Guatemala and Malta in announcing new reinforced positions, bringing the number of nations from the Pacific, Europe, the Caribbean and Latin America to 32 to try to stop such a destructive industry. These global negotiations have been attended by more governments than ever, including the President of Palau and multiple ministers, in a sign of the growing political prominence and public interest in stopping deep-sea mining.
International Seabed Authority
Faced with the threat of The Metals Company of submit an application soon to start commercial mining exploitation In the heart of the Pacific Ocean, the President of Palau, Surangel Whipps Jr., addressed the International Seabed Authority accompanied by two of his children, closing his speech with the following words: “Let us not leave Jamaica having granted the mining industry a license to colonize the common heritage of humanity and destroy our greatest ally in our fight against climate change: our ocean.”
The growing wave of support for seabed protection from the nascent industry translated for the first time into a formal debate on a general marine environment protection policy. This could provide the avenue for a formal pause or moratorium on deep sea mining.
A year ago, a group of pro-mining countries successfully blocked this debate, but a new proposal backed this year by an even larger number of countries sparked a lively debate on Wednesday, with countries agreeing to continue discussions with the aim of deciding next steps with the meeting closing today.
Many states, including Madagascar, Vietnam, Morocco and Belgium, again supported the development of a general policy. The environmental organization asks the Spanish Delegation in Jamaica to maintain a coherent position so that a general policy can be carried out that allows for a precautionary pause in underwater mining.
Global Ocean Treaty
He Global Ocean Treaty began its ratification process at the national level since the Council of Ministers sent it to the Cortes last July, so it is essential that our government is coherent and ensures the protection of the seabed against new extractive industries, This is how our government has expressed its interest in the new candidate Leticia Carvalho succeeding.
Last week, the publication of a pioneering study revealing that the polymetallic nodules that mining companies want to extract from the ocean may be producing oxygen in the deep ocean offered another clear example of how little we know about the seabed.
Several nations have referred to this study in the International Seabed Authority to highlight the need for caution, including Panama, Costa Rica and Belgium, while the company that co-financed the study, The Metals Company, disputed its conclusions in a parallel event.
«Never before has the international community been so aware of the destruction that the underwater mining could cause to the ocean depths. The seabed needs protection from mining machines, and the good news is that more and more countries agree that a moratorium should be established. The push has never been stronger to protect the oceans from underwater mining«, declared Marta Martín-Borregón, responsible for oceans of the environmental organization.