Andrew Thaler for the DSM Observer While environmental impacts dominate the public discussion surrounding deep-sea mining, another highly contentious barrier to the implementation of a deep-sea mining code carries equal, if not greater weight within the International Seabed Authority. The financial regime, a novel payment structure which establishes the mechanism by which proceeds generated from […]
Read More
Andrew Thaler for the Deep-sea Mining Observer Tasked with determining if and how the resources of the deep seafloor in areas beyond national borders would be extracted for their metals and parceled out to meet the profit needs of mining contractors and fulfill the International Seabed Authority’s mandate to manage the seafloor for the good […]
Read More
Opinion by Andrew Thaler, DSMO Editor-in-Chief The Earth Negotiations Bulletin was not present at the first part of the 27th Session of the International Seabed Authority. When the ISA Secretariat announced at the February 2020 meeting that they would not be renewing the ENB contract, I did not expect that their absence would be quite […]
Read More
The first part of the 27th Session of the International Seabed Authority is in full swing. Watch to public portions of the negotiations here: https://isa.org.jm/web-tv While the Earth Negotiations Bulletin usually provides unbiased daily coverage of these negotiations, unfortunately, the ISA Secretariat opted not to contract ENB for this year. The only organization providing highlight […]
Read More Headlines Politico: The world is set to debate seabed mining regulations, but the U.S. will be on the outside looking in Salon: Lockheed Martin’s deep-sea mining gets backlash Business Standard: Deep ocean mission soon to study origins of life: MoES official Papers One Earth: Heading to the deep end without knowing how to swim: Do […]
Read More Headlines The Guardian: As the ocean industrial revolution gains pace the need for protection is urgent Canada’s National Observer: Deep-sea mining could begin next year. Here’s why ocean experts are calling for a moratorium The Guardian: UN ocean treaty is ‘once in a lifetime’ chance to protect the high seas Papers Nature Communications: Battery technology […]
Read More
By Elham Shabahat for MongaBay The high cost of studying deep-sea ecosystems means that many scientists have to rely on funding and access provided by companies seeking to exploit resources on the ocean floor. More than half of the scientists in the small, highly specialized deep-sea biology community have worked with governments and mining companies […]
Read More
Pradeep A. Singh for the Deep-sea Mining Observer [1] In late June 2021, some three months ago now, the Republic of Nauru invoked section 1(15) of the 1994 Agreement Relating to the Implementation of Part XI of the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (hereinafter ‘section 1(15)’), which houses the ‘two-year rule’ or […]
Read More Opinion by Andrew Thaler, DSMO Editor-in-Chief The International Seabed Authority published their provisional roadmap for the next two years of international negotiations, optimistically culminating with the approval of the Mining Code for polymetallic nodules in areas beyond national jurisdiction. This ambitious goal depends upon the ability to resume ISA sessions in Kingston, a scenario that […]
Read More Opinion by Andrew Thaler, DSMO Editor-in-Chief As we enter the final quarter of 2021, with a global pandemic still raging across all but a few countries and impacting supply chains and critical work throughout the world, it looks increasingly unlikely that an in-person session of the ISA will be possible before 2022, marking two years […]
Read More