“Underwater mining is destroying ocean floors, endangering the livelihoods of marine animals and as yet undiscovered species, and exacerbating the climate crisis.“, says Greenpeace signature campaign ‘Stop underwater mining’. It reached more than 368,000 signatures in just a few days. The goal is to reach one million.
“The seabed seemed like the final frontier. We thought their ecosystems would be protected from the greed of big corporations. That was not the case,” warns Greenpeace on its signature website. “They want to do the unthinkable: Destroy the seafloor to extract valuable materials. Ecosystems lost in exchange for their benefits,” he adds.
Greenpeace warns a group of countries allied with some mining companies to make that uncharted territory your new source of income. To do this, the life they contain, their importance in controlling the planet’s CO2 levels, and sustainability of marine ecosystemswe are together”.
“Using a legal shortcut, I want to get permission to land massive excavators and drills on the seafloor this year To start extracting the precious minerals he values,” he criticizes, “they want to do in the depths of the sea what they have already done in many parts of the planet: destroy them with their own hands. economic interest. And this time we can’t let that happen,” the NGO exclaims.
Spain and other countries that make up the ISA (International Seabed Authority), “prevent the destruction of our seabeds before it’s too late”. And they should do it,” says the conservation group. But the negotiations within the ISA in recent weeks have not yielded the fruit Greenpeace had expected.
irreparable damage
“The (ISA) negotiations have failed to address the concerns of scientists and indigenous peoples, and now, even in the absence of rules and regulations, deep-sea mining interests seek to compel governments, through a controversial legal process, to consider and provisionally approve a deep-sea mining practice. “Every time after 9 July,” he says.
There are three main reasons why Greenpeace opposes seafloor mining:
1 “Will cause irreparable harm to one of our best allies against climate changeThat’s because the seabed is a “very important” reservoir for “blue carbon”, which is retained by the oceans, coastal ecosystems and the organisms living in them, and stored in the form of biomass and sediments. bottom from the sea”.
2 “It will affect the food chain and fisheries, because damage to marine species could affect the entire oceanic food chain and even lead to the extinction of unique species. Underwater mining may reduce the Spanish fleet’s catches as a result of the sediment clouds caused by this activity.”
3 “It will cause irreparable harm to sea creatures, because in the depths of the ocean there is a real ‘oasis’ for them. Some species, such as coral and sponge species, depend on these substrates for survival. It will also produce clouds of sediment that will damage different habitats many kilometers away.”
Greenpeace’s warnings coincide with the results of a scientific study recently published by ‘Fauna & Flora International’. According to this research, the damage caused by mining on the seafloor is “extensive and irreversible: once lost, it will be impossible to restore deep-sea biodiversity.”
A critical year for the oceans
“This is a critical year for the future of our oceans.‘ warns Catherine Weller, Director of Global Fauna and Flora Policy, who claims a moratorium on deep-sea mining has been agreed in 2021 until the risks are “fully” understood and “effective protection” is guaranteed.
“Our investigation clearly shows that this is still far from reality, and that is why we are calling on the International Seabed Authority. prevent the award of mining tenders early and adopt someone else moratorium on deep sea miningWeller adds.
Pressure from big companies in the industry to promote underground mining, increasing demand for metals such as lithium, copper and nickel and depletion of world resources.
Scientists warn that this activity includes: serious risks and effectsnot only in marine ecosystems, but also The important role of the ocean in climate regulation. Deep-sea mining could contribute to climate crisis disruption of carbon pools in marine sediments and disruption of carbon cycling and storage processes.
“We know less about the deep seas than anywhere else on the planet; more than 75% of the seabed is unmapped and less than 1% of ocean depths have been explored,” warns Sophie Benbow, director of Fauna and Flora Marina.
“But what we do know is that the ocean plays a vital role in the fundamental functioning of our planet and therefore, Protecting its sensitive ecosystem is essential not just for marine biodiversity, but for all life on Earth.‘, he concludes.
Collecting signatures against underwater mining: https://es.greenpeace.org/es/que-puedes-hacer-tu/peticiones/stop-mineria-submarina/
‘Fauna and Flora International’ report on deep sea mining: https://phys.org/news/2023-03-deep-seabed-extensive-irreversible-reveals.html
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Contact details of the environment department: [email protected]