ISA Council Gathers to Develop New Code Amid Pressures

The International Seabed Authority (ISA) has convened a critical two-week meeting in Kingston, Jamaica, with the goal of finalizing the world's first regulations for seabed mining by 2025. The issuance of mining licenses will hinge on this new regulatory framework and the outcome of the upcoming secretary general election.

Running until July 26, the session brings together the 36-member ISA council to negotiate the latest draft of these anticipated rules. Nine countries, including France and Chile, have announced their plans to propose specific policies to safeguard marine environments ahead of potential mining activities.

The decision to issue mining licenses will also depend on the election of ISA’s new secretary general. Experts emphasize that the stance of the incoming leader on environmental sustainability will significantly influence the approval or rejection of mining licenses. Currently, Leticia Carvalho, Head of the Marine and Freshwater Division, UN Environment Programme in Nairobi, is challenging the incumbent, Michael Lodge, Secretary General, ISA. Analysts speculate that electing Carvalho could signal a departure from Lodge's leadership, criticized for disregarding environmental objections to deep-sea mining and its close ties with mining contractors.

Deepsea Mining in the World

Currently, ISA has approved 31 contracts, 30 of which are active, each lasting 15 years. Among these contracts, several involve governmental entities such as the governments of India, Poland, and South Korea, as listed on the ISA website. However, most contracts are with private companies that have directly engaged with ISA for deep-sea mining activities.

China leads with five of these ISA contracts, followed by Russia and South Korea with three each. Japan, India, Germany, Poland, France, and the United Kingdom have two contracts each. Brazil, Jamaica, Kiribati, Cook Islands, Singapore, Tonga, and Nauru each have one contract.

While Mexico has not yet started deep-sea mining, it has a substantial opportunity to do so. With access to both the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans and its proximity to the Clipperton Fracture Zone, a rich area for mining. Mexico's mineral reserves are estimated to contain 21 billion t of polymetallic nodules. These are believed to hold about 6 billion t of manganese, 226Mt of copper, 94t of cobalt, and 270Mt of nickel.