ISA negotiations begin amid mounting global calls to halt deep-sea mining
This week marks the beginning of three intense weeks of negotiations at the International Seabed Authority (ISA) headquarters in Kingston, Jamaica. Governments from around the world are gathering to resume discussions that will determine whether or not to open the deep-sea — one of the planet’s last untouched frontiers — to commercial deep-sea mining, a highly destructive and controversial industry.
The talks come just weeks after the conclusion of the Third United Nations Ocean Conference in Nice, where a clear message echoed through the corridors: the international community does not want deep-sea mining to begin. Instead, countries supported prioritising the protection of ocean health over short-term exploitation.
Mounting concerns over environmental harm
Deep-sea mining poses significant and largely irreversible threats to marine ecosystems. Extracting minerals from the seabed would involve the use of heavy machinery, causing widespread physical destruction of habitats that have taken millennia to form.
One of the lesser known but deeply concerning impacts of deep-sea mining is underwater noise pollution. Mining operations would generate intense and continuous noise — disrupting communication, navigation, and reproduction for countless marine species. With little to no rigorous baseline scientific data and major knowledge gaps about deep-sea biodiversity, the risk of causing irreversible damage to marine ecosystems is alarmingly high.
Time for multilateral action
It is critical that any decision on deep-sea mining be made by the international community as a whole, and within the framework of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). The ISA must uphold its mandate to protect the marine environment and resist pressure from industry actors pushing for rapid approval of a Mining Code that lacks scientific, environmental, and equity safeguards.
Rushing to adopt such a code— especially without adequate scientific knowledge — would set a dangerous precedent. OceanCare therefore joins other organisations in advocating for a moratorium or precautionary pause as the only responsible path forward. It would provide much-needed time to close major gaps in knowledge, strengthen international governance, and would protect the ocean from irreversible harm.
As negotiations unfold in Kingston, the eyes of the world are on the ISA.
The choice is clear: prioritise the health of our blue planet or risk losing it to short-sighted exploitation.