New Zealand calls for moratorium on destructive deep-sea mining in international waters

Just days before the International Seabed Authority meets in Jamaica, seeking to continue the rush to mine the deep, New Zealand joins the growing wave of concern, declaring its support for a moratorium on the damaging industry.

The Deep Sea Conservation Coalition (DSCC) welcomed the news from New Zealand, with Phil McCabe, Pacific Lead for the Coalition commenting: "We applaud Aotearoa New Zealand for taking a position that reflects the values of New Zealanders and ocean people everywhere. This call echoes our domestic experience as well, where seabed mining has been shown to be environmentally, socially and legally unacceptable. New Zealand now joins others taking a leadership role internationally to defend our shared ocean from destructive deep-sea mining."

Next week, the International Seabed Authority’s member States will meet in Kingston, Jamaica for two weeks, to negotiate deep-sea mining rules and regulations that, if agreed and adopted, could see commercial extraction begin in the deep sea as soon as 2023, New Zealand's independent news website Scoop reports.

In the statement released this morning, New Zealand Minister of Foreign Affairs, Nanaia Mahuta highlighted that the Clarion Clipperton Zone, the area targeted for the first commercial deep-sea mining in international waters, contains "some of the least understood ecosystems on the planet, and our scientific knowledge of it remains extremely limited". Nanaia Mahuta also warned that "deep-sea mining could cause irreversible changes to this environment and have a significant impact on its biodiversity". The Minister of Foreign Affairs also underscored the need to ensure the effective protection of the marine environment, calling for increased knowledge about the deep seabed, and the impacts of deep-sea mining.

The DSCC, which represents more than 100 non-government organisations, will be present in Jamaica throughout negotiations, calling for a moratorium on the industry. The Coalition’s Campaign Lead, Sofia Tsenikli said: "New Zealand's call for a moratorium on deep-sea mining sends a clear message - States must regain control of the process at the ISA or see deep-sea mining fast-tracked and the ocean wrecked. It’s time now for all States to join the path set by Pacific countries including Palau, Fiji, the Federated States of Micronesia, Samoa and now New Zealand, and press pause on deep-sea mining."

The emerging industry is facing a surge in backlash from a broad spectrum of society, including governments, almost 250 parliamentarians from more than 50 countries, scientists, businesses, civil society organisations and communities worldwide. More than 600 science and policy experts have called for a pause on the nascent industry, warning that the proposed strip-mining of vast areas of seabed risks disturbing carbon storage in the deep, and would result in a loss of biodiversity and ecosystem functioning that would be irreversible on multi-generational timescales.

The DSCC’s Legal Advisor, Duncan Currie commented: "If deep-sea mining in international waters were to begin, there would be no going back. New Zealand needs to take forward this leadership and ambition to the upcoming ISA meeting and beyond, to rally further political support to stop deep-sea mining before it starts."