The Common Heritage of Mankind. The core principle that underlies all of the negotiations surrounding deep-sea mining beyond national borders is that these resources don’t belong to any one person, organization, or nation, but to humankind as a whole, to be exploited (or not) for the benefit of the world as a whole. With the … Read More “What I’m watching for at this month’s ISA meeting: untangling the financial regime” »
Category: Policy
One curious contradiction in the International Seabed Authority is that some of the member states that are currently most vocal about enforcing a strong moratorium (if not outright ban) on deep-sea mining also currently hold ISA exploration leases. The UK and France, as well as Germany and Brazil, have all made statements in support of … Read More “What I’m watching for at this month’s ISA meeting: How are pro-moratorium member states dealing with their own mining leases?” »
In November and December of 2023, Greenpeace activists boarded a deep-sea mining vessel conducting exploratory research in the Clarion Clipperton Fracture Zone. The executive summary is that the ISA issued interim measure pursuant to Regulation 33 of the Regulations on Prospecting and Exploration for Polymetallic Nodules in an attempt to compel Greenpeace to halt its … Read More “What I’m watching for at this month’s ISA meeting: How the Council responds to the NORI-D Incident” »
Earlier this week, Congresswoman Miller of West Virginia introduced the Responsible Use of Seafloor Resources Act of 2024 bill into Congress. This bill is among the few significant pieces of new national legislation promoting deep-sea mining to be introduced in the modern era. The text is available here: A Bill to support international governance of … Read More “New Deep-sea Mining Bill Introduced in Congress” »