Andrew Thaler for the Deep-sea Mining Observer The Metals Company capped off 2022 by setting a historic milestone in the development of deep-sea mining technology. As the International Seabed Authority Council convened in Kingston, the crew of the AllSeas vessel MV Hidden Gem completed the first successful recovery of polymetallic nodules from the abyssal plain using an integrated collector and riser and lift system. This marks a key technological milestone in the march towards commercial deep-sea mining.  This test comes following successful testing of the nodule collection vehicle and r ..read more

Commentary by Pradeep A. Singh (Fellow, Institute for Advanced Sustainability Studies, IASS Potsdam) and Maila Guilhon (Research Associate, Institute for Advanced Sustainability Studies, IASS Potsdam) Considering the potential of deep-sea mining activities to cause harm to the marine environment, the International Seabed Authority (ISA) requires exploration contractors and proponents for exploitation contracts to undertake an environmental impact assessment (EIA) and submit an environmental impact statement (EIS) resulting from an EIA. In the case of activities during the exploration phase tha ..read more

Andrew Thaler for the DSM Observer “To build a green future,” said Gerard Barron, CEO of The Metals Company in a May 2022 press release, “our generation will need to mine more metal than we have mined in our entire history. This will lead to more emissions, more social displacement, more habitat destruction and more biodiversity loss. The questions are: How much? Where? Who will bear the brunt of the [environmental, social, and governance] costs? Can we afford it? Can the planet? Working through these trade-offs will require realism, pragmatism and some courage.” At the current pace of electri ..read more

Interview with Pradeep A. Singh As part of the 27th Session of the International Seabed Authority, the Council met from 18-29 July and the Assembly from 1-5 August. One key topic that reverberated throughout the meetings was the looming deadline to complete the elaboration and adoption of regulations that would allow exploitation activities to commence, which is a consequence of the invocation of a treaty provision known as the “two-year rule” by the Republic of Nauru last year. With the deadline expiring in July 2023, anxiety surrounding member states, observers, stakeholders, as well as medi ..read more

Maria Bolevich for DSM Observer Transparency builds trust, but deep-sea mining contractors are faced with the challenge of balancing a mandate for transparency under the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea with the need to maintain propriety over the privileged information needed to compete in an emerging industry. This balancing act creates an unavoidable tension between the mining contractors (and their sponsoring states), who are working towards an ultimate goal of commercial production and environmental groups advocating for stronger restrictions in the absence of complete environmental da ..read more

Andrew Thaler for the DSM Observer After nearly a month and a half of meetings, including of the Legal and Technical Commission, the Finance Committee, the Council, and the Assembly, the Second part of the 27th Session of the International Seabed Authority came to a close on August 4th, 2022. Though a critical moment for the nascent deep-sea mining industry, the meeting itself brought more questions than answers, with several key issues still outstanding. Unique for the ISA, a third session will be held later this Fall, allowing delegations one last opportunity to bring the Council together be ..read more

Andrew Thaler for the Deep-sea Mining Observer Twenty-eight years ago, the International Seabed Authority (ISA) gathered in Jamaica for the first time to establish the regulations, standards, and guidelines governing how mineral resources—resources that under the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea are the “common heritage of mankind”—would be mined from the ocean floor. During the nearly three decades since, delegations from 167 nations and observers from advisory groups, non-governmental organizations, and civil society have, through conflict and compromise, slowly and methodically eked out ..read more

Headlines The Guardian: One deep sea mine could send noise 500km across the ocean – report Japan Today: Outgunned island states vow to fight deep-sea mining Reuters: France’s Macron says deep-sea mining must not go ahead Asia Pacific Report: Fiji, Palau and Samoa call for deep-sea mining moratorium at UN conference Eco-Business: Singapore affirms support for deep-sea mining Interventions Chile: Position paper on the period established in paragraph 15(b) of the Annex to the Agreement on the Implementation of Part XI of UNCLOS – Submitted by Chile Press Releases The Metals Company: The Metals Co ..read more

Headlines Radio New Zealand: Pacific civil society groups urge NZ to support a moratorium on deep sea mining Reports UN Environment Program: HARMFUL MARINE EXTRACTIVES: DEEP-SEA MINING Training Opportunities ISA: Deep Ocean Resources Development Co., Ltd. (DORD) Videos ..read more

Headlines The Week: All you need to know about Varaha-1, a seabed mining machine India is developing Reuters: G7 countries say strict environmental rules needed for deep-sea mining Eco-Business: Credit Suisse joins growing list of banks shunning deep-sea mining Mining Dot Com: The Metals Company deep-water tests polymetallic nodule collector vehicle in Atlantic Daily Beast: Deep Sea Mining May Uplift Clean Energy—and Curse Our Oceans Automotive World: Volkswagen publishes Responsible Raw Materials Report 2021 The Week: Welcome on board Mission Samudrayaan, India’s daring deep-sea manned voyage ..read more