Journal of Science Policy & Governance
Volume 24, Issue 01 | April 30, 2024

Policy Memo:  ​Defining Strategic Environmental Goals and Objectives for the Management of Deep-sea Mining Operations in the Seabed Beyond National Jurisdiction​

João H. Bettencourt (1), Chia Chun Angela Liang (2)

  1. University of Bergen, Geophysical Institute, Bergen, Norway 
  2. University of California Irvine, Department of Earth System Science, California, USA

​Corresponding author: [email protected] ​​​
Keywords: Deep-sea mining; environmental stewardship; deep-sea ecosystems; ecosystem protection; strategic environmental assessment; International Seabed Authority
https://doi.org/10.38126/JSPG240102 ​

Executive Summary

After the inconclusive second part of the 28th Annual Session of the International Seabed Authority (ISA) in July 2023, there were concerns that the ISA would start accepting exploitation applications for deep-sea mining in the seabed beyond national jurisdiction (the Area) with neither a full regulatory framework in place nor a general policy related to the conservation of our marine environment. Currently, the environmental management of deep-sea mining by the ISA is cursory and lacks strategic aims regarding the preservation of deep-sea ecosystems. This makes the ISA unable to fulfill its environmental stewardship mandate as defined in the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea. To overcome this inability, we propose that the ISA defines Strategic Environmental Goals and Objectives by carrying out a Strategic Environmental Assessment of deep-sea mining in the Area, with broader stakeholder engagement and considerations for cumulative and long-term effects. This will allow the ISA to develop the first strategic environmental policy for the Area under its jurisdiction to protect deep-sea ecosystems.

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Background header image courtesy of Mining Review
João H. Bettencourt is an ocean scientist with a background in physical-biogeochemical interactions and the marine biogeochemical cycles. He is currently a Postdoctoral Research Fellow in the SEAS – Shaping European Research Leaders for Marine Sustainability Program at the Geophysical Institute of the University of Bergen, where he studies the effects of climate change and anthropogenic pressures on marine sustainability. He is a member of the Informal Group on Science-Policy Interface in Deep Sea Mining and a member of the European Science Diplomacy Alliance. 
​
Chia-Chun (Angela) Liang is a Ph.D. candidate at the UCI Earth System Science Department. Her research focuses on better quantifying Antarctic ice loss and its contribution to sea level using remote sensing, ground observations, and models. Born and raised in a small coastal village in Taiwan, an island country that faces the challenge of rising sea levels, Angela understands the importance of advocating for evidence-based policy, particularly on climate change topics. Currently, Angela is the Science and Technology Advisor at Open Dialogues International Foundation and the Western Onboarding Chair for the National Science Policy Network. In addition, she is a co-founder of the Science Policy and Advocacy Network at UC Irvine (a chapter of the National Science Policy Network) and served as the president. 

Acknowledgements 
The authors acknowledge the valuable feedback from the reviewers that greatly improved the manuscript. João H. Bettencourt acknowledges funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under the Marie Skłodowska-Curie grant agreement No 101034309.

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