International Seabed Authority resists pressure from mining industry

The sword of Damocles hangs over the International Seabed Authority (ISA), whose major annual meeting ended on Friday, July 25. For more than ten years, the multilateral body has been negotiating the mining code that will govern the exploitation of "the Area," that is, the seabed and ocean floor and its subsoil, in waters beyond national jurisdiction. The shadow of the United States—which is not part of the ISA—hangs over the discussions between countries, since Donald Trump signed a decree at the end of April that aims to accelerate the review and issuing commercial exploitation permits, including in international waters. The American president sees this as a way to "guarantee reliable supplies of essential minerals."

The mining industry, which has been pressing the Authority for years to bring its negotiations to a successful conclusion, has stepped into the breach, and The Metals Company submitted an application for an operating permit to the American administration at the end of April. Regardless of the framework, the Canadian company wants to extract polymetallic nodules from the depths, intriguing black pebbles rich in metals (such as nickel) that can be used to manufacture batteries. Its approach was widely condemned within the Authority, whose various bodies met during the month of July at its headquarters in Kingston, Jamaica. But should future regulations be drafted in a hurry, given the threat of unilateralism? If this year's discussions end without the text being ready, the question has been a hot topic at the meetings.

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