The government is running a risky sport when they want to open a giant, vulnerable sea area to commercial mining. The area lies deep, in the middle of the North Atlantic between Norway, Iceland, Greenland and Svalbard. In this area with completely unique biological conditions, Oil and Energy Minister Terje Aasland (Ap) will bring the Storting with him to dig for minerals despite great uncertainty. This could be the biggest nature intervention in Norway ever, in our last real wilderness, an area the size of 3/4 of Norway’s land area. The whole idea of deep-sea mining is questionable, not only for the environment: You don’t know what the seabed actually holds, the technology doesn’t exist, and even the profitability is so uncertain that even “deep-sea players” such as Equinor are uninterested. Unforeseen consequences The depth down to three or four thousand meters is a world of its own, the fauna is unique. Many of the species here are still unknown, states the Norwegian Institute of Marine Research. Many form peculiar food chains, societies we do not know the consequences of harming. The processes are slow. Many species filter water for nutrients and oxygen; fine rock dust from mining activities quickly kills such. Because the water is still, digging dust will float for a long time and can cover and damage large areas. Heavy metals and other things that are swirled up will slowly reach higher water layers and enter the food chains there. Picking up minerals can speed this up. Many have criticized the plan, including the state’s own professional bodies: the Norwegian Environment Agency points out “significant gaps in knowledge about nature, technology and environmental effects” – and that mineral activities “will have significant and irreversible consequences for the marine environment”. The Center for Deep Sea Research at the University of Bergen has similar objections. Norway could become the first country in the world to start commercial mining in the deep sea. Worthless investigations An important point is that the government is asking the Storting to open up the entire huge area – 280,000 square kilometers – through a single decision this autumn. After that, the elected representatives have nothing to say. The government argues that private extraction companies will be allocated smaller areas at a time, but why then open up the entire area at once? It is the opposite of the step-by-step approach that has been used for the development of both wind and oil areas. They also leave it to private licensees to survey both mineral deposits and environmental consequences. Such mapping is worthless. They only get to check their small patch, and if they find, for example, a lot of one species, they cannot possibly know if it is common, or if it is just a large accumulation of a unique species. As the Institute of Marine Research states: Thorough mapping of large areas over time is needed. Better care – and more recycling 23 countries have already said no to mining on the seabed, with a temporary ban on both exploration and extraction in the seabed. They will wait until we know more. It is wise. It would also be wise if the government would follow its own “mineral strategy” for sustainable mining, which we in the Nature Conservation Association welcomed at the latest this summer. The mineral strategy says nothing about seabed minerals: It describes a completely new, Norwegian framework for operating mines on land sustainably, which we support. As it also emphasizes: It is also urgent for both Norway and the EU to put in place better solutions for the recycling of such minerals. Manufacturers must be required to produce in such a way that recycling and reuse becomes easy. Check first, maybe dig. So we are not saying no to mining, nor necessarily on the seabed in the future, but the job must be done sustainably and without ignorant haste. Minerals are needed, but rushing the seabed is a high-risk sport. Fortunately, it is entirely possible to stop. The process must be safe: First, a thorough government survey, becoming familiar with both biological and commercial values. So – if necessary – exploit the values in the depths in a safe way. In the meantime: Return the deep sea mining proposal.
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High-risk sports in the deep sea – Statement
