Issue Seabed mining governance splits between pause and unilateral permitting

Summary

The governance of deep-sea mining is splitting between restraint and unilateral action. The International Seabed Authority is charged with organising mining in international waters for the benefit of humankind while protecting the ocean, but it has not granted any commercial permits. Over 30 governments are urging a precautionary halt, reflecting concerns from governments and civil society about the long-term effects of stripping nodules from wide areas of seabed. Mining firms reply that the risks are manageable or exaggerated, citing research on their exploration sites. Meanwhile the United States, which never joined the governing treaty, looks ready to authorise mining under its own national rules and bypass the multilateral system altogether.