Letter of the Day | Jamaica should reconsider position on deep-sea mining

THE EDITOR, Madam:

The part II of the 28th session of the International Seabed Authority (ISA) began on July 10 in Kingston, and continues until July 28. These meetings, focused on deep-sea mining (DSM), started one day after the two-year rule expired.

This rule, triggered in 2021 by the country of Nauru, required the Council of the ISA to complete the elaboration and adoption of the necessary regulations to mine the deep sea within two years. If the regulations were not completed within the prescribed time and an application was to be submitted, the council would have to ‘consider’ and ‘provisionally approve’ in the absence of the regulations.

As of today, the regulations are still incomplete and, among other issues, the following are still being debated:

1. Should deep-sea mining be allowed to proceed in the absence of regulations?

2. Should regulations be created in the absence of adequate scientific information?

3. Given the dearth of scientific information about the deep sea, there should be a moratorium or a precautionary pause on DSM until more is known and an effective regulatory framework can be developed.

Several countries have either joined in the call for a moratorium or a precautionary pause, bringing the count to 21 out of a total of 167 member states. They join hundreds of other scientists worldwide and private companies such as BMW, Volvo, Alphabet (Google) and Samsung.

Jamaica, however, a sponsoring state for a deep-sea mining exploration contract to Blue Minerals Jamaica, is still in support of deep-sea mining, albeit only in the context of a robust regulatory framework. In their most recent statement made July 14 at the council meetings, Jamaica said it is committed to the protection of the common heritage of humankind (the deep sea) and will work to ensure the effective protection of the marine environment from any harmful effects that may arise from activities undertaken there.

This response does not go far enough. Jamaica has obligations under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea to ensure the effective protection of the marine environment. Given the environmental risks, gaps in scientific understanding and woefully inadequate regulatory structure surrounding DSM, there currently can be no assurance that states will be able to uphold these obligations. UNCLOS, therefore, not only allows a moratorium on deep-sea mining, but requires it.

The Jamaica Environment Trust continues to urge the Government of Jamaica to reconsider its position on DSM. While economic growth is important, it cannot come at the expense of our environment and future generations.

THERESA

RODRIGUEZ-MOODIE

Environmental Scientist

CEO, Jamaica Environment

Trust