The UN Secretary-General António Guterres has issued a stark warning against unregulated deep-sea mining, urging that the deep ocean should not become a free-for-all.
Speaking at the opening of the UN Ocean Conference in Nice, France, Guterres declared, “The deep sea cannot become the Wild West.”
His sentiment was echoed by French President Emmanuel Macron, who emphatically stated that “the oceans are not for sale.”
These statements appear to be a direct response to President Trump’s April decision to authorize permits for critical mineral extraction in international waters.
The pursuit of valuable minerals from seabed polymetallic nodules is gaining traction, yet concerns are rising among marine scientists regarding potential ecological damage.
“The ocean is not for sale. We’re talking about a common shared good,” President Macron stressed. “I think it’s madness to launch predatory economic action that will disrupt the deep seabed, disrupt biodiversity, destroy it.”
This critical issue is among several key topics at the conference, including overfishing, plastic pollution, and climate change.
Over 2,000 leading scientists recently convened to assess the latest ocean health data, recommending a halt to deep-sea exploration pending further impact research.
This position enjoys the support of more than 30 countries advocating for a moratorium, despite President Trump’s continued support of his executive order.
A primary goal of the UN conference, concluding Friday, is to secure ratification of the High Seas Treaty from 60 countries, thereby bringing it into force.
This treaty, agreed upon two years ago, aims to designate 30% of international waters as marine protected areas (MPAs) by 2030 to safeguard and aid ecosystem recovery.
President Macron announced an additional 15 ratifications, bringing the total to 47.
The UK government, while yet to ratify, recently indicated a potential extension of its ban on destructive bottom trawling within England’s MPAs. Details on this potential extension are available here.
However, concerns remain, including those voiced by Sir David Attenborough, that the treaty lacks explicit provisions to ban bottom trawling within these MPAs.
Bottom trawling is a highly destructive fishing practice often resulting in bycatch of larger marine species.
Subscribe to our Future Earth newsletter for the latest climate and environment news from the BBC’s Justin Rowlatt. For international readers, sign up here.
Gloucester City Council is exploring ways to tackle climate change and extreme weather.
As governments gather at the UN Oceans Conference, Arran’s marine protections are lauded as a restoration model.
Extended tree growing seasons necessitate increased power line clearing by energy companies.
Recent weather patterns create ideal strawberry growing conditions in West Sussex.
The Prince of Wales delivered a speech in Monaco advocating for investments to protect global oceans.