World leaders gathered for the UN Ocean Conference in Nice on Monday called for strict rules to govern deep-sea mining and warned against racing to exploit the ocean floor. This comes amid growing anxiety over US President Donald Trump's unilateral push to fast-track the practice in international waters.
French President Emmanuel Macron said that imposing a moratorium on seabed mining was "an international necessity".
His comments at the opening of the UN Ocean Conference in southern France on Monday came as nations expressed concern over the United States ambitions to give the green light to deep-sea mining.
"I think it's madness to launch predatory economic action that will disrupt the deep seabed, disrupt biodiversity, destroy it and release irrecoverable carbon sinks – when we know nothing about it," Macron said.
The world's oceans, both international waters and those under national jurisdiction, are rich in minerals and metals, like cobalt, nickel and copper.
These are important for building electric car batteries, for instance, and other technologies as countries try to transition away from fossil fuels.
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Trump was not among the roughly 60 government officials in Nice, but his spectre loomed large as leaders attempted to discuss one of the globe's key environmental concerns.
Of particular concern is Trump's move to sidestep the International Seabed Authority (ISA) and speed up the permit-issuing process for companies wanting to extract nickel and other metals from waters beyond US jurisdiction.
Canadian firm, The Metals Company used its American subsidiary to apply after Trump signed an executive order in April.
'Not for sale'
The deep sea, Greenland and Antarctica were "not for sale", Macron said in further remarks directed clearly at Trump's expansionist claims.
The ISA, which has jurisdiction over the ocean floor outside national waters, is meeting in July to discuss a global mining code to regulate mining in the ocean depths.
In Nice, the Deep Sea Conservation Coalition, an umbrella group of non-governmental organisations said that the number of countries opposed to seabed mining rose to 36 on Monday.
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Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva called for "clear action" from the seabed authority to end a "predatory race" for deep-ocean minerals.
"We now see the threat of unilateralism looming over the ocean. We cannot allow what happened to international trade to happen to the sea," he said.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said he urged caution as countries navigate these "new waters on seabed mining".
"The deep sea cannot become the wild west," he said, to applause from the plenary floor.
Island nations also spoke out against seabed mining, which scientists warn could result in untold damage to ecosystems largely unexplored by humanity.
'Reckless' behaviour
"Here in Nice, we can feel that the looming threat of deep-sea mining, and the recent reckless behaviour of the industry is seen by many states as unacceptable," said Megan Randles from Greenpeace.
Deep-sea mining is just one of several key points evoked in the so-called "High Seas Treaty", adopted by UN member states in June in 2023.
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The treaty covers international waters that fall outside the jurisdiction of any single state, and account for more than 60 percent of the world's oceans.
Macron told reporters that 55 nations had ratified the agreement, just five shy of the number required for its enactment by 1 January, 2026.
According to the UN, 18 new ratifications took place on Monday, bringing the total to 50. Others could arrive in the coming days.
(with AFP)
