European NGOs call for more debate on deep-sea mining

euronews (in English)

Three European non-governmental organizations (NGOs) commissioned an Ipsos survey in Belgium, Poland and Italy to promote debate on the risks of deep-sea mining.

Transcript

00:00Environmental activists are concerned about intensive efforts to pass rules that will

00:08govern future commercial deep sea mining of materials and metals in international waters.

00:14The International Seabed Authority, which is an organization under the United Nations,

00:18is conducting the negotiations during a boards meeting in Jamaica.

00:24This is why three European NGOs commissioned a poll from Ipsos with 3,000 people spread

00:29across Belgium, Poland and Italy.

00:32Of those, 56% are opposed to deep sea mining, supporting a temporary ban on this industry.

00:40Scientists warn us that we need more time to understand more about the deep sea.

00:46We're still making new discoveries, like last week the discovery was made that polymetallic

00:52nodules, the rocks that hold the minerals which mining companies want to mine, actually

00:59produce oxygen.

01:01This has completely changed what we know about how oxygen is produced because it happens

01:05in the deep sea without sunlight.

01:08Also at stake are impacts on ecosystems, fish populations and the ocean's ability to sequester

01:12and store carbon dioxide.

01:14So far, only 31 countries in the world advocate a ban, moratorium or preventive pause, of

01:20which 10 are in the European Union.

01:25France is the only member state asking for a ban.

01:27A pause in mining until there is more data is advocated by Denmark, Sweden, Finland,

01:33Germany, Portugal, Spain, Ireland, Greece and Malta.

01:38Two years ago, the European Commission advocated banning this activity until there is proof

01:43that it can be carried out safely.

01:45But some EU member states are eager to obtain new sources of minerals used, for example,

01:50in electric batteries and semiconductors.

01:54Some activists say it may not be worth it.

01:59Through deep sea mining, it's mainly these polymetallic nodules that contain mostly manganese

02:05and some nickel, cobalt and copper.

02:08Many of these minerals are actually being replaced in current green technologies.

02:15And certain minerals that are incredibly necessary, like lithium, are not to be found in these

02:22nodules.

02:23Canada could apply for a license to operate commercially in international waters as early

02:28as 2025, while Norway is one of the most proactive countries in terms of commercial extraction

02:34in its national sovereign waters.

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