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5h ago

Governments Demand Moratorium as U.S. Reviews First Commercial Deep-Sea Mining Application

NOAA’s imminent six-month review will test U.S. efforts to fast-track seabed mining facing mounting scientific and governmental resistance

The robotic arm of a remote-operated underwater vehicle grips a polymetallic nodule on which a coral grows. Image courtesy of Geomar Bilddatenbank via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 4.0).
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Overview

  • The Metals Company submitted the first-ever application to commercially mine polymetallic nodules in international waters, triggering a six-month review by NOAA.
  • At the 30th International Seabed Authority session, 37 governments formally called for a moratorium on commercial deep-sea mining to protect fragile ocean ecosystems.
  • ISA Council leadership is under pressure to finalize a Mining Code by year-end, a move opposed by environmental groups and some member states fearing irreversible damage.
  • President Trump’s April executive order directed agencies to fast-track seabed mining claims, framing critical minerals as a national security imperative to counter China.
  • Scientists warn that small-scale deep-sea mining tests from the 1980s still show no microbial recovery after 26 years, underscoring long-term environmental concerns.