World: Seafood sector wades into controversial deep-sea mining debate

Published Jul 12, 2023

Tridge summary

The Global Tuna Alliance and the Sustainable Seafood Coalition are among the organizations calling for a pause in deep-sea mining development due to potential environmental and socioeconomic impacts. The seafood industry fears that deep-sea mining could cause habitat destruction, biodiversity loss, and disruptions to fisheries and seafood supply. A recent study also suggests that deep-sea mining operations could conflict with and impact valuable tuna fisheries in the Eastern Pacific Ocean, further raising concerns about the consequences of deep-sea mining.

Disclaimer:The above summary was generated by Tridge's proprietary AI model for informational purposes.

Original content

The intervention comes as the International Seabed Authority (ISA) meets in Kingston, Jamaica, to discuss proposals by Canada's The Metals Company to exploit seabed minerals in the Pacific. According to the mining company, the ocean floor is potentially rich in metals like nickel and cobalt which are used as electric vehicle batteries – so their extraction will support the global energy transition. But environmental groups warn the scheme could cause irreparable damage to marine systems and they expect the proposals will be put on hold by the ISA, which is the UN body regulating the sector. The meeting follows the July 9 expiration of a landmark two-year rule calling for the ISA to set regulations on deep-sea mining, which could set the stage for exploitation to begin immediately. More than a dozen ISA member countries have already called for a pause or ban on deep-sea mining operations around the globe, including France, Germany, Spain, Switzerland, New Zealand, Palau, Fiji, ...

Source: Foodnavigator