Deep-Sea Mining Is Inevitable: ISA

Fueled by an interest to extract greater quantities of minerals at equivalent or lower costs, deep-sea mining is now seen as inevitable, said Michael Lodge, Secretary General, International Seabed Authority (ISA). Discrepancies persist regarding the environmental impact of sea-bed mining, with some studies suggesting reduced pollution while others anticipating accelerated climate change.

Norway recently made history by becoming the first country to officially authorize seabed mining, permitting exploration for minerals such as cobalt, nickel, copper, and manganese on the ocean floor within its territories. The estimated value of these reserves ranges from US$8 trillion to over US$16 trillion. In March, ISA is scheduled to resume discussions on the protocols for deep-sea mining in Kingston, Jamaica.

The Life cycle climate change impacts of producing battery metals from land ores versus deep-sea polymetallic nodules study stressed that extracting battery metals from these nodules could result in a substantial decrease in CO² emissions by 70-75%, a reduction in land use by 94%, and the complete elimination of solid waste. However, scientists warn that sea mining could seriously affect the environment. In Quantifying zoobenthic blue carbon storage across habitats within the Arctic’s Barents Sea research, 17 locations on the Arctic Ocean floor were examined, revealing that marine life in these regions stores a more considerable amount of carbon than previously thought.

Scientists explained that deep-sea organisms, such as corals and sponges, absorb carbon from their environment to grow. Once these organisms die, the carbon remains hidden in the sediments on the ocean floor, forming what scientists call "blue carbon". This carbon plays a vital role in reducing greenhouse gases. Therefore, sea mining would disrupt marine life, accelerating climate change.  

What is Mexico’s Position on Sea Mining?

In Nov. 2023, Mexico supported the moratorium on seabed mining, arguing that there is not enough scientific information to know its true environmental impact. The current government’s position is that seabed mining can only start when standards, rules, and guidelines are created to ensure the protection of the environment. If seabed mining is carried out outside of national authority, the government stressed that enforcement, inspection, monitoring, and compliance procedures must be established in advance.

While Mexico does not carry out deep-sea mining yet, the country has a significant opportunity to do so. It has access to the Atlantic and the Pacific Ocean and is located right next to the most prolific region for marine mining: the Clipperton Fracture Zone. Mexico’s mineral reserves have been estimated to contain 21Bt of polymetallic nodules, which contain about 6Bt of manganese, 226Mt of copper, 94t of cobalt and 270Mt of nickel.