Almost a year ago, Sandor Muslow told China Dialogue Ocean that the body charged with both protecting the international seabed and developing rules to govern its exploitation, the International Seabed Authority (ISA), is in fact promoting mining. Muslow is a former head of environment and minerals at ISA.
The allegation of lack of neutrality raised by Muslow was not discussed at the most recent ISA assembly on 1–4 August this year, according to attendees interviewed by China Dialogue Ocean. Yet we are just nine months away from seabed mining potentially beginning under whatever regulations exist in July 2023.
That is because, in July 2021, the Republic of Nauru triggered an arcane rule that could obligate the ISA to allow exploitation within two years. One of the last official forums to debate all this before the deadline will be the final ISA session of the year, running from 31 October to 11 November.
The richest submarine area for these minerals is the Clarion-Clipperton zone, which spans 4.5 million square kilometres in the Pacific Ocean, between Mexico and Hawaii. Exploitation would begin here. Its proximity is of great concern not only to Mexico, but the whole continent.
We have sought the views of several Latin American experts. They all agree that there is very little scientific evidence about what we have (and stand to lose) on the seabed, and that the ISA is being permissive regarding the commencement of mining.
One of the main arguments given in favour of deep-sea mining is the need for minerals to accelerate the crucial transition to renewable energy. However, the interviewees point out that if mining is not well regulated, it would harm the heritage of humanity and future of the planet.