Seabed Mining: Research, Transparency and Better Maps Needed

In 2014, a public consultation on mining metals from the ocean floor was launched and a study was undertaken by the European Commission. Whereas the study was limited to mining in deep water, the consultation also covered the current activity of extraction of sand, gravel and other materials from shallow water. A number of recommendations from all groups were similar: more research, increased transparency, tighter standards and better maps.

The study covers the current and latest state of knowledge of deep-sea mining, including the geological potential, the relevant technologies, the economic viability, the environmental implications, the legal regime, and an inventory of ongoing exploration and exploitation projects.

Representatives of public authorities, industry, researchers and civil society provided a wide variety of views on the different aspects of both shallow and deep water mining during a public consultation on deepsea mining; the need for it, the way it should be done and its impact. This led to recommendations of these professionals.