Mining

3 June, 2020

Source: Geographical
Author: Sabine Christiansen and Sebastian Unger

You may have heard about minerals on the bottom of the ocean. The UK Government sponsors several exploration contracts for UK Seabed Resources (a subsidiary of the American aerospace and security company Lockheed-Martin) in the Pacific Ocean to look for them. These minerals come from the so-called ‘Area’, the deep seafloor beyond the limits of national jurisdiction and far out in the global ocean.

Continue reading Deep seabed mining could inflict considerable direct and indirect harm

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3 June, 2020

This session was hosted as part of the 2020 Virtual Ocean Dialogues by the Deep Sea Conservation Coalition, World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) and Pacific Network on Globalisation.

The ocean is a constant for people of the Pacific, with cultures centred around long-held relationships that remain embedded in everyday life. Knowledge, guardianship and traditional resource management systems enable the bounty of a healthy ocean to perpetually sustain physical, economic and spiritual well-being.

The impending industry of deep seabed mining has focused its attention on the Pacific region both on the high seas through the International Seabed Authority and within national jurisdictions, where proposals to date have been shown to be at odds not only with cultural beliefs and practices of Pacific societies, but also with contemporary marine legislation, economic and cultural activities such as fisheries and tourism, and the commitments of all countries to reverse the decline in biodiversity. The outcomes and stories of civil society engagement with prolonged seabed mining licensing processes lay bare the question of appropriateness of the activity in the 21st century.

In this Virtual Ocean Dialogue session, stories from frontline indigenous leaders offered a Pacific people’s perspective on the “sustainable relationship” with the life-giving entity, Moana nui. Experts also explored the interconnectedness of deep-sea environments and the rights of both human societies and nature in the context of exploiting the global commons.

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1 June, 2020

Source: VOA News

Scientists are urging a temporary halt to deep-sea metal mining. They warn in a report that it could cause severe, damaging effects on Pacific Ocean areas.

The recently-released report examined more than 250 published studies on deep-sea mining. The research was examined by the Deep Sea Mining Campaign – a collection of not-for-profit organizations. Environmental group MiningWatch Canada also cooperated on the study.

Continue reading here.

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3 April, 2020

Source: NZ Herald
Author: Laurel Stowell

Mining company Trans-Tasman Resources has been sent back to the Environmental Protection Authority if it wants to make a third attempt to mine iron-sand from the South Taranaki seabed.

The Court of Appeal today dismissed TTR’s appeal against a High Court judgment quashing its mining consents.

Continue reading Appeal Court upholds decision to quash Trans-Tasman Resources’ seabed mining application

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3 April, 2020

Source: Kiwis Against Seabed Mining & Greenpeace NZ

Kiwis Against Seabed Mining (KASM) and Greenpeace today hailed the decision by the New Zealand Court of Appeal denying Trans-Tasman Resources (TTR) permission to mine the South Taranaki Bight as a victory for the oceans.

The Court of Appeal confirmed today that the proposed seabed mining operation that would dredge a 66 square kilometre section of the seabed off the coast of Patea for ironsands, does not meet numerous environmental and Treaty of Waitangi principles and therefore could not go ahead.

A blue whale feeds in the South Taranaki Bight (Photo: Oregon State University)
A blue whale feeds in the South Taranaki Bight (Photo: Oregon State University)

“This sends a powerful message that New Zealand waters are not open for pillage by seabed miners. We doubt very much that any future investor would now have the appetite for throwing money at what is clearly a lost cause,” said Cindy Baxter, chairperson of Kiwis Against Seabed Mining.

“This sends a powerful message that New Zealand waters are not open for pillage by seabed miners. We doubt very much that any future investor would now have the appetite for throwing money at what is clearly a lost cause”

“This three-year process has been a long, drawn-out battle, underlining the need for a ban on seabed mining. This is the third New Zealand application and again the seabed miners have lost, at enormous expense to local communities, iwi, environmental groups and industry,” she said.

Jessica Desmond, oceans campaigner at Greenpeace, says now is not the time for further exploiting our oceans.

“We have to step back and recognise that seabed mining is simply too destructive to go ahead. We don’t know enough about our fragile marine environment and what mining could do – but the science shows the impacts would be negative,” she says.

“This particular mining operation would put endangered Hector’s dolphins, blue whales, seabirds, and coral life at risk. It’s a risk we cannot afford.

“Our oceans perform a myriad of vital services to humanity – from feeding communities to providing breakthroughs in medical science. It is high time we protected them from harmful activities.

“This seabed mine would have set a very bad precedent for other companies waiting in the wings. Today’s decision will be felt across the Pacific where communities are fighting other similarly damaging huge seabed mining projects.”

Just last month, the UK Government committed to not sponsor nor support the issuing of any exploitation licences for deep sea mining projects until there is sufficient scientific evidence about the potential impact on deep sea ecosystems. They also want to see strong and enforceable environmental standards in place before any mining could go ahead.

Prominent environmentalist Sir David Attenborough has also warned of  potential irreversible harm that could be done through seabed mining.

Today’s decision upholds a High Court decision last year that quashed the EPA consent granted to TTR.

The Appeal Court decision also upheld several important points of law the groups had cross-appealed on, as the High Court had rejected these arguments.

These included:  including the relevance of international law, the meaning of the legislation regulating New Zealand’s Exclusive Economic Zone, its object and purpose, the precautionary principle, the relevance of the Resource Management Act regime, and a financial bond to ensure future environmental harms can be addressed.

Other possible seabed mining bids could come from companies holding either mining or exploration permits off New Plymouth, Waihi Beach, and the Chatham Rise – where Chatham Rock Phosphate has already failed in its first attempt, and has been telling investors it is waiting for this decision to be resolved before it reapplies.

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2 April, 2020

Deb Ngarewa-Packer, Kaiarataki at Te Runanga o Ngati Ruanui from Aotearoa (New Zealand) shared this emotional video message to let everyone know that they have won the case against seabed mining in their waters in Aotearoa. This is a big win which could mean seabed mining in Aotearoa (New Zealand) won’t simply not be possible in NZ under this decision.

Seabed Mining decision – WE WON!!!

Posted by Deb Ngarewa-Packer on Thursday, 2 April 2020

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23 March, 2020

Source: RFI
Author: Silvia Celi

The race for mining exploration of the seabed continues despite the moratorium requested by the Coalition for the Conservation of Deep Waters. Even countries that signed the Paris Agreement and active members of the UN are ready to explore those areas that man still does not know well.

Continue reading LISTEN: Mining exploration would put the biodiversity of the seabed at risk

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12 March, 2020

Source: The Guardian
Author: Karen McVeigh

Proposed mining of seabed could destroy unstudied ecosystems and disrupt vital carbon-storing functions, says naturalist

Sir David Attenborough has urged governments to ban deep sea mining, following a study warning of “potentially disastrous” risks to the ocean’s life-support systems if it goes ahead.

The study, by Fauna and Flora International (FFI), warns proposed plans to mine the seabed could cause significant loss of biodiversity, disruption of the ocean’s “biological pump”, and the loss of microbes important for storing carbon. The process, requiring machines operating thousands of metres under the sea, could also create plumes of sediment that smother areas far from the mining sites and kill wildlife.

Continue reading here.

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