Deep seabed mining could begin before proper international rules are in place, risking serious and irreversible damage to the ocean environment that Pacific countries like Fiji depend on.
Retired academic Dr Claire Slatter raised the concern while speaking at the State of the Pacific Ocean convening yesterday, warning that recent moves by US President, Donald Trump had changed the debate around deep seabed mining and placed greater pressure on international ocean governance systems.
Dr Slatter said Mr Trump’s decision to sign an executive order in April allowing American companies to seek licences or permits to explore for and eventually recover minerals from the seabed, including in international waters, through US agencies, such as the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, rather than waiting for the International Seabed Authority to finalise global rules, was “really shocking”.
“The fact that deep seabed mining, which many of us in the room have been campaigning against, may see or may actually begin before there are rules,” she said.
“And I don’t even believe there would be rules sufficient to protect the marine environment, the planet, from the impacts of deep seabed mining.”
Dr Slatter said the decision to allow unilateral licensing through a domestic US law, which existed before the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, challenged international governance, the ISA and international law.
“What are we going to do about it, really, is the issue.”
She said there appeared to be pressure on the ISA to quickly finalise regulations and rules, including the mining code, in response to the US move.
However, Dr Slatter said rushing to complete those rules was not the right response.
