Monday, August 19, 2024
By Adenike Adeiga
Adenike Adeiga is a UTSC Master of Environmental Science student with a co-op placement at the UTSC Sustainability Office. In July 2024, she gained observer status through the Sustainable Ocean Alliance to attend the 29th Meeting of the Assembly of the International Seabed Authority.
The Fate of the Deep Sea
In the month of July 2024, the fate of the 鈥渄eep sea鈥 was being decided in Kingston, Jamaica where the International Seabed Authority (ISA) is headquartered. The ISA is the institution that organizes and controls activities in the seabed and ocean floors beyond national jurisdictions. Over 300 delegates from countries of the world were present to discuss and vote on environmental regulations that will either stop deep-sea mining (DSBM), encourage a precautionary pause or allow the commencement of mining in international waters. I was selected by the Sustainable Ocean Alliance to attend the 29th Meeting of the Assembly of the ISA and chosen to make an intervention.
Mining in the Deep Sea
In a bid to meet the growing demands from electronics manufacturing and for low-carbon technologies like solar panels and batteries for Electric Vehicles, the demand for raw materials is increasing. These raw materials are critical metals such as lithium, cobalt, nickel, and so on. Mining of these materials already occurs on land; however, countries are now looking to mine the deep sea for these resources.
Some countries are eager to commence deep seabed mining and are already applying to the International Seabed Authority (ISA) for permits to explore DSBM in international waters. This mining activity is set to commence without proper environmental impact assessments or understanding the risks associated with DSBM. Since 2021, applications and interests from nations to mine the seabed has triggered the need for ISA to establish regulations that will guide deep seabed mining.
Scientists and many others believe deep seabed mining can harm marine life, disrupt the ecosystems, threaten food security, impact fishing activity, and pose economic risks.
Importantly, the ocean is a large carbon sink that absorbs about 25% carbon dioxide emissions. The loss of deep-sea biodiversity following mining activity may impact the ocean鈥檚 carbon cycle and reduce its ability to help mitigate global temperature rise .
On the third day of the meeting of the assembly, I made an intervention on behalf of the Sustainable Ocean Alliance youth delegates on the need to develop a general policy to ensure the effective protection of the marine environment from harmful effects. The intervention emphasized that the decisions of the ISA should align with the core values of transparency, accountability and scientific integrity for current and future generations.
"What will generations 100 years from now say about the decisions we are making this week?鈥
The Outcome
Since 2023, Canada has supported a moratorium on deep seabed mining. By the end of three weeks negotiations, 5 new countries joined the movement against DSBM bringing the total of countries that are against DSBM to 32! In addition, commercial mining operations have not been authorized and a new secretary general was elected who is the first woman and first scientist to hold the position in the ISA鈥檚 30-year history.
What can you do?
Manufacturing industries can begin to consider redesigning products, for example producing lighter batteries that would require less energy-intensive minerals.
What you can do as an individual to reduce the demand for raw materials is to make thoughtful choices about over-purchasing of electronics and choosing products with a lower metal component or made from recycled materials. UTSC has a battery recycling station to dispose of your used batteries responsibly.
Visit any of the stations on campus here and be a part of the change!
Links:
- About the ISA:
- Additional information about the ISA's 29th Session: