In the context of climate change, the States wonder about the merits of going to draw minor resources located in the great depths, on the high seas.
by Martine Valo
The Council of the International Marine Fund (AIFM) Council concluded, Friday, November 11, in Jamaica, its third meeting of the year. According to this body, this is a sign that work with a view to establishing a regulation fixing the conditions of the commercial exploitation of mineral resources in the great depths, on the high seas, intensify. A new session is also scheduled for March 2023. But during the ten days of discussion of this 27 session, doubt and division seem to have been interfed among the 168 member states, according to Environmental defense NGOs following the progress of a mining code supposed to lead by the end of 2023.
Number of participants thus question the fact of knowing whether it is very reasonable to extract polymetallic sulphides and nodules, as well as the cobaltiferous horsesome of the ocean floor, several thousand meters below the surface, Disturbing largely unknown ecosystems that would undergo irreversible damage to meet the technological needs of humans? “It is obvious that the mining will have, to a certain extent, consequences on the marine environment, in particular near mining activities”, recognizes Michael Lodge, secretary general of AIFM, on the organization’s site . He quotes the “destruction of living organisms, the disappearance of the habitat and the formation of sedimentary plumes”, to which are added the consequences of hydraulic leaks, the lives of the living generated by the noise and the light.
However, the very reason for the creation of this UN body in 1994 is precisely to supervise and organize the distribution of exploration and exploitation permits of seabed, taking into account the interests of the least developed countries. His status also implies that his secretariat, based in Kingston in Jamaica, can take royalties on the licenses he issues in order to finance his operation. But in almost thirty years, the context is no longer the same: the interest of civil society, policies and media increases on this issue, as the effects of climate change and decline Biodiversity manifests itself.
Several countries want to brake the race for abyss
Until now, the question of the exploitation of large funds beyond the waters under national jurisdictions occupied mainly lawyers and diplomats in technical negotiations to the nearby. This time, several representatives of governments such as those of Switzerland, Denmark, Finland were exceptionally present. Several countries have expressed their desire to curb the race to the abyss which is announced by asking for a “precautionary break”, the time to acquire knowledge on these environments, even a “moratorium”, a term which evokes a longer duration , while others, like India for example, require the renewal of their explores permits.
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