Photo by Ahmed
Donald Trump has enacted a contentious executive order designed to enhance deep-sea mining activities both within the United States and in international waters. This decision to permit exploration beyond national boundaries has drawn criticism from China, which claims it contravenes international law. The order issued on Thursday is the latest in a series of actions by the US president aimed at expanding America’s access to minerals essential for the aerospace, green technology, and healthcare industries. The deep sea is believed to contain billions of tonnes of potato-shaped rocks known as polymetallic nodules, which are abundant in critical minerals such as cobalt and rare earth elements.
The recent executive order aims to ‘position the United States as a global leader in responsible seabed mineral exploration,’ according to its text. This initiative seems to circumvent ongoing UN negotiations regarding mining in international waters, as many nations, including China, have postponed the issuance of permits until a consensus on resource-sharing frameworks is reached. ‘The US authorization… infringes upon international law and undermines the collective interests of the international community,’ stated Guo Jiakun, a spokesperson for the Chinese foreign ministry, on Friday.
China currently leads the global production of rare earths and critical metals like cobalt and lithium. Analysts suggest that Trump has been discontented with the relative vulnerability of the US position in this sector. ‘We aim for the US to surpass China in this underwater resource domain,’ remarked a US official on Thursday. To facilitate this goal, the order indicates that the US will expedite the issuance of exploration licenses and recovery permits in its territorial waters as well as in ‘areas beyond national jurisdiction.
‘ The administration projects that deep-sea mining could potentially increase the nation’s GDP by $300 billion (£225 billion) over the next decade and generate 100,000 jobs. Meanwhile, the EU, the UK, and other nations advocate for a moratorium on such practices until further scientific investigations are conducted.
Environmentalists and researchers express concern that deep-sea mining may pose a threat to marine species inhabiting the ocean’s depths. Jeff Watters from Ocean Conservancy, a US-based environmental organization, stated, “Deep-sea mining represents a significant risk to our oceans.” He further emphasized that the detrimental effects of this mining activity extend beyond the ocean floor, affecting the entire water column and all organisms dependent on it.
Although the timeline for the commencement of deep-sea mining remains uncertain, The Metals Company (TMC) is currently negotiating with the US government for the necessary permits. TMC’s CEO, Gerard Barron, has indicated his intention to initiate mining operations by the year’s end. He, along with other industry representatives, contests the environmental concerns raised, asserting that the abyssal zone, located between 3,000m and 6,000m below sea level, contains minimal life.
“In this region, there is no plant life, and the biomass of animal life is approximately 10g per square meter, in stark contrast to over 30kg of biomass found in areas where nickel extraction is prevalent, such as our equatorial rainforests.”
A recent study conducted by the Natural History Museum and the National Oceanography Centre examined the long-term effects of deep-sea mining based on a test from the 1970s. The findings indicated that while some sediment-dwelling organisms managed to recolonize and recover from the disturbance, larger species did not seem to return, likely due to the absence of suitable nodules for habitation. These polymetallic nodules, which contain valuable minerals, require millions of years to form and cannot be easily replenished.
