Please find attached the official announcement and the provisional agenda for the international workshop “Towards a standardised approach to Regional Environmental Management Plans in the Area”. The workshop will be held on 11-13 November and will be hosted by Germany in cooperation with the Netherlands and the Pew Charitable Trusts.
Policy issues
Proposal of draft exploitation regulations released by ISA Legal and Technical Commission
The Legal and Technical Commission of the International Seabedauthority (ISA) has released an updated proposal of Draft Regulations on Exploitation of Mineral Resources in the Area.
ISA has led several rounds of global stakeholder consultation over the last five years to develop the draft exploitation regulations, which will regulate exploitation of deep-sea minerals in a way that supports the commercial recovery of seafloor mineral resources with effective protection for the marine environment.
Short report from the 25th Annual Session of the International Seabed Authority
InterRidge was represented by its co-Chair Jérôme Dyment at the first part (25 February – 1 March) of the 25th session of the International Seabed Authority (ISA) held in Kingston (Jamaica).
ISA – Comments on Revised Draft Regulations on Exploitation of Mineral Resources in the Area
Members and Observers of the International Seabed Authority (ISA) as well as other Stakeholders are invited to submit their comments on the revised draft regulations on exploitation of mineral resources in the Area (ISBA/24/LTC/WP.1/Rev.1 and ISBA/24/C/20) by 30 September 2018. If you do so, please send us a copy of your comments.
24th annual session of the ISA
Nadine Le Bris and Jérôme Dyment, co-chairs of InterRidge, attended the 24th Session of the Council of International Seabed Authority that took place in Kingston on 5-9 March 2018, preceding a session of the Legal and Technical Commission (LTC).
InterRidge Industry Liaison Panel produces its first report
At the 2012 InterRidge Steering Committee meeting, in St. Petersburg, Russia, national representatives recommended the formation of an Industry Liaison Committee, to work with the ocean mining industry. This decision came in response to the recent granting of exploration licenses to several countries by the International Seabed Authority, for the evaluation of seafloor massive sulphide deposits (SMS) on mid-ocean ridges. Read the first report.
InterRidge Industrial Liaison Panel
InterRidge Industrial Liaison Panel is officially dismissed after 3 years as decided in the 2015 StComm Meeting!
InterRidge Liaison Panel to produce exploration guidelines
A new InterRidge Liaison Panel for the formation of guidelines concerning exploration and exploitation of vents has been formed. It will liaise with mining interests and policy makers to engage all interested in the very topical issue of SMS deposits at hydrothermal vents.
Liaison panel on exploration guidelines
At the recent StComm meeting, it was decided that InterRidge should set up a panel to devise guidelines on exploration at vent sites, in collaboration with invited NGOs and industry. These would be similar to the Code of Conduct developed a few years ago, but more outward-looking to all stakeholders, rather than just scientists.
Policy issues
We will post articles of topical interest as well as documents produced by the InterRidge Office which have been sent to decision makers.
23rd annual session of the International Seabed Authority
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