Policy issues

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.

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).

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.

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).

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.