Deep-sea mining has been explored as a strategy to tap into the vast reserves of minerals and metals found in the oceans, as land-based reserves are limited. These raw materials are needed for several technologies that are essential for decarbonising economies and mitigating climate change. The extent of the environmental damage this would cause is still unknown. Expected environmental impacts include loss of habitat for unique fauna, alteration of the physical characteristics of the seabed with potential loss of ecosystem services, water pollution, increased disturbance to marine life such as sound, vibration and light, loss of biodiversity or even species extinction.
Uncertainty of deep-sea mining
Deep-sea mining has been explored as a strategy to tap into the vast reserves of minerals and metals found in the oceans, as land-based reserves are limited. These raw materials are needed for several technologies that are essential for decarbonising economies and mitigating climate change. The extent of the environmental damage this would cause is still unknown. Expected environmental impacts include loss of habitat for unique fauna, alteration of the physical characteristics of the seabed with potential loss of ecosystem services, water pollution, increased disturbance to marine life such as sound, vibration and light, loss of biodiversity or even species extinction.
Nº 116
- N/D
- Energy Emission Reduction
- Promotion of Renewable Energy
some attempts made
past case
Region-1
Region-2
Region-3
Region-4
ongoing case
no attempts made
Uncertainty of deep-sea mining
A Canadian mining company, Nautilus Minerals, has been exploring waters in Papua New Guinea since 1997 and started exploratory drilling in the Bismarck Sea since 2016. It was found that the Environmental Impact Statement submitted in the process contained irregularities, such as an underestimation of ‘dewatering’. This is the process of pumping rock and water up to a ship, creating clouds of murky water that create a layer of mud over life on the seabed. Other impacts include seismic risk, light pollution and disruption of animal communication. Moreover, the project, in which the Papua New Guinea government has invested hundreds of millions of Kina, has been deemed as a failure, and the project has been cancelled. In the wake of this development, Papua New Guinea’s Prime Minister has backed Fiji’s call for a ten-year moratorium on seabed mining in the region.
- Frustrated the efforts to address the initial problem; The problem-shift had no effect on the efforts to address the initial problem
- Cascading (far-reaching effects following each other); Multilple (effects disconected from each other)
The first Deep Sea Mining (DSM) project in Papua New Guinea. (n.d.). Available at https://www.source-international.org/news/the-first-deep-sea-mining-dsm-project-in-papua-new-guinea
Doherty, B. (2021). Collapse of PNG deep-sea mining venture sparks calls for moratorium. The Guardian. Available at https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/sep/16/collapse-of-png-deep-sea-mining-venture-sparks-calls-for-moratorium
Levin, L. A., Amon, D. J., & Lily, H. (2020). Challenges to the sustainability of deep-seabed mining. Nature Sustainability, 3(10), 784-794.
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