The Group of Seven Countries on Friday agreed that strict environmental controls should regulate deep-sea mining and that they would only approve such mining projects if they did not seriously harm the marine environment. “We have decided that if there are any deep ocean mines, it should be done under strict environmental laws,” German environment minister Steffi Lemke told a news conference after a G7 ministers’ meeting in Berlin.
The International Seabed Authority (ISA), a United Nations organization, is drafting regulations governing marine mining – areas outside any state territory. Until international law, mining of sea beds is not allowed.
“With regard to potential mines in the deep sea, we highlight the unique opportunity to control human activities before they can be used to prevent damage to the marine environment,” G7 ministers said in their last meeting.
They also said that the ability to demonstrate that deep oceans would not be severely damaged would be very important for them to consider approving any future mining permits in the ISA council.
Mining and deep mining involves the absorption of cobalt, nickel, and other metals from the bottom of the Pacific Ocean at a depth of 4–6 km (2.5 to 3.7 miles).
Many scientists and environmentalists have called for the closure of deep ocean mines, saying they could cause permanent damage in less-understood areas. The World Wildlife Fund’s (WWF) suspension application has been joined by companies including car maker BMW and Alphabet Inc’s Google.
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