01 Apr 2025
Canadian deep-sea mining firm, The Metals Company (TMC), has formally initiated a process under the U.S. Department of Commerce to apply for exploration licenses and commercial recovery permits under existing U.S. legislation, the Deep Seabed Hard Mineral Resources Act of 1980 (DSHMRA). The Company said that following extensive legal diligence on DSHMRA, regulations and other […]
04 Feb 2025
Portugal’s parliament has approved the drafting of a moratorium on deep sea mining in territorial waters to 2050. On January 30th, the Portuguese parliament debated a moratorium on deep sea mining until 2050, with four parties presenting bills. On January 31st, lawmakers adopted in first reading several texts from various parties, including the ruling group […]
03 Dec 2024
Norway has paused its controversial project to open up its seabed for commercial-scale deep-sea mining. Oslo had planned to let companies apply to mine 280,000 sq km (108,000 sq miles) of its waters for precious metals – an area equivalent to Italy – situated between Svalbard and Jan Mayen Island in the Arctic region. The […]
09 Apr 2024
Deep-sea mining could begin in international waters as early as next year, yet policymakers are still disputing how to govern such activities. At the end of March representatives from the 36 member states of the council of the International Seabed Authority (ISA), the UN-affiliated regulator of deep-sea mining activities in international waters, met for talks […]
19 Feb 2024
Experts and academics are invited to join a new science network that will help to provide evidence on the environmental impact of deep-sea mining. The UK Government has launched a new UK-based environmental science network, to gather scientific data, and carry out world-class research to help assess the environmental impacts of deep-sea mining. Eligible applicants […]
06 Feb 2024
By Ashley Pearl in The Conversation: Norway has a reputation for environmental leadership, from championing international biodiversity policies to its wilderness protection and ambitious biodiversity regulations. Now it is leading into another area, leveraging its long legacy of offshore oil and gas production into developing deep-sea mining. In January Norway became the first nation to open its continental shelf to commercial […]
16 Jan 2024
Norway has become the first country in the world to move forward with commercial-scale deep-sea mining. The bill, passed in the Norwegian Parliament, will accelerate the exploration for precious metals which are in high demand for green technologies. Scientists have warned it could be devastating for marine life. Norway’s parliament voted 80–20 in favour of […]
25 Jul 2023
The United Nations-affiliated International Seabed Authority (ISA) has given itself a timeline for setting rules and oversight for companies that want to mine the ocean floor for minerals. At its annual meeting, the ISA’s 36-member policymaking Council said it would work “with a view” to adopting regulations in 2025. The agreement came after hours of closed-door […]
