MEDIA RELEASE – FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 25 July 2025
SOURCE: DEEP SEA CONSERVATION COALITION
We are rushing to prepare regulations atop a foundation of scientific uncertainty, in direct contradiction of our obligation under Article 145 of UNCLOS to protect the marine environment.
This is not urgency born of science, but acceleration shaped by external pressure. We must be guided by principle, and not by artificial deadlines. – President Surangel Whipps Jr. of Palau at the July 2025 ISA Assembly
Kingston, Jamaica 13.00 CDT: Weeks after governments promised bold action to protect the ocean at the UN Ocean Conference in Nice (June 2025), the International Seabed Authority (ISA) Council and Assembly meetings have concluded with no moratorium on deep-sea mining and a widening gap between promises and performance. Despite vocal leadership from some States, which stood against efforts to rush the exploitation of the deep sea in the negotiations, many governments failed to meet the moment in Kingston, squandering a critical opportunity for ocean protection at a time of mounting ecological crisis. The DSCC is urging all governments to reflect on the political and moral costs of inaction and stand firm for a moratorium.
The ISA Assembly missed a vital opportunity to debate key issues, such as the role of the deep ocean in climate regulation, whether we actually need to source minerals from the deep, the significant gaps in our knowledge of deep-sea ecosystems, and the urgent need to adopt a precautionary pause or moratorium on exploitation. Efforts to raise these important discussions were shouldered by a number of champion States present at the Assembly, willing to draw a line in the sand, but were consistently blocked by a few.
“38 States have now joined the call for a moratorium or precautionary pause, with Croatia joining the coalition during this Assembly”, said Sofia Tsenikli, DSCC Campaign Director. “But too many other States, which were bold in their ocean promises at UNOC, are not putting this into action at the ISA. Governments must meet their promises by doing what it takes to implement a moratorium before it’s too late.”
The ISA Assembly featured a handful of high-level calls for action, with powerful interventions from President Whipps of Palau, Minister Juan Carlos Navarro of Panama, and Ocean Ambassador Olivier Poivre d’Arvor of France, who proposed a 10-15 year precautionary pause. These leaders echoed the growing public and scientific consensus that deep-sea mining must not proceed and that a moratorium or pause is required. Furthermore, Croatia announced its support for a precautionary pause at the Assembly on Thursday.
The Council meeting preceding the Assembly did not conclude the Mining Code and also mandated an inquiry into the potential breach of contractual agreements and international law brought about by The Metals Company’s moves to bypass the ISA and unilaterally mine international waters. These were both welcomed as positive outcomes, but concern remains that unless a moratorium is established, governments at the ISA could be sleepwalking into opening the door to one of the largest mining operations our planet has ever seen.
With the UN General Assembly and World Conservation Congress ahead, governments must act decisively to implement a moratorium before it’s too late.
Matthew Gianni, DSCC Co-Founder and Political Advisor, said: “Being on the fence or remaining silent is not a politically defensible position. We are risking severe ecological damage, and future generations will ask what we did to stop it. There is still a chance to stop this industry before it begins, but only if governments stand up for science, equity, and precaution now, and take action to prevent companies within their jurisdiction from cooperating with rogue mining operations.”
Legal adviser to the DSCC, Duncan Currie, said “The initiation of the inquiry by the ISA into unilateral seabed mining applications outside of the international framework of UNCLOS is welcome, and must be conducted expeditiously and thoroughly. The health of the ocean depends on it.”
Two important issues remain in discussion ahead of the meeting closing later today: these are related to a legal obligation by the ISA to conduct an institutional review, as well as an initiative to implement a General Policy for the Protection of the Marine Environment. The latter would set the environmental goals and principles that should underpin all ISA activities and ensure environmental protection is not sidelined but embedded at the heart of the ISA’s mandate.
Quotes from DSCC Members:
“Canada has one of the strongest moratorium positions out of the 38 countries calling for a halt to the deep-sea mining industry. It is time for Canada to translate that position into action, not just by calling for a moratorium, but by using our diplomatic channels to continue to grow the momentum for one. Canada has the credibility and the capacity to lead and now must work alongside the nations committed to responsible ocean governance to ensure deep-sea mining does not go ahead.” – Nicole Zanesco, International Policy Advisor, Oceans North
“We salute the consistent leadership shown by the majority of Latin American countries, which have approached the negotiation in an open and collaborative manner, maintaining a strong commitment to the need for an effective tool to ensure the protection of the marine environment. We also highlight the involvement of new countries in the region, whom we invite to join our champions and keep Latin America at the global forefront of the protection of the common heritage of humankind.” Diego Lillo, High Seas Protection coordinator, AIDA
“Just weeks ago, leaders at the UN Ocean Conference called for urgent action to safeguard the deep sea and its important ecosystem services, yet once in Jamaica we have seen some states procrastinate on agreeing the measures needed. WWF urges states to think deeply, gather the facts, and fully understand the long-term consequences before moving ahead with any deep seabed mining. For now, the most appropriate step to avoid potentially irreversible harm to deep sea ecosystems would be for countries to agree to a precautionary pause on deep seabed mining.” – Jessica Battle, Lead WWF’s Global No Deep Seabed Mining Initiative
“The health of the High Seas including the seabed is critical to our own. Yet our shared heritage faces an onslaught of threats from climate and nature collapse, escalating tensions and failed leadership. To even consider a new form of ecocide on our already ailing planet is both reckless and irrational. We know that deep-sea mining will devastate life in the deep ocean, wipe out species before they have been discovered, and impact ocean functions, including carbon sequestration. When it comes to the ocean we have no time to lose. We cannot colonise and conquer our shared heritage which belongs to us all. There is only one responsible way forward, and that is to secure a moratorium on deep-sea mining.” – Farah Obaidullah, Founder and Director of The Ocean and Us
“The international community’s message to The Metals Company is clear: violating international law, ignoring scientific consensus, and disregarding human rights will have consequences. This is also a warning to any companies or governments choosing to align themselves with Gerard Barron’s business model—they must be prepared to bear the reputational fallout of trying to destroy the ocean.” – Louisa Casson, Campaigner, Greenpeace International
“The ISA is paralysed by a small group clinging to outdated extraction agendas while blocking even the most basic reforms. The firm rejection of the U.S. and The Metals Company’s power grab, alongside 38 countries now calling for a moratorium or precautionary pause, shows growing resistance to sacrificing the planet’s least understood ecosystem for corporate short-term profit.” – Simon Holmström, Deep-Sea Mining Policy Officer, Seas at Risk
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