Source: Seas At Risk
A new Alliance of Pacific parliamentarians calls on Pacific leaders to protect its territorial waters from deep-sea mining. Their action sets an example for the EU, which continues to address its deep-sea mining precautionary position exclusively to international waters, largely ignoring deep-sea mining risk in European seas.
The Pacific alliance includes parliamentarians from French Polynesia, Papua New Guinea, Guam, Tuvalu, the Autonomous Region of Bougainville, Palau, New Zealand, Fiji and Vanuatu – all countries with neighbouring Exclusive Economic Zones. The alliance highlights the need to suspend deep-sea mining activities in waters under national jurisdiction, while at the same time also supporting a global moratorium.
If the EU aims to be a leader in international ocean governance, it could lead by example and prohibit deep-sea mining in European seas, in addition to supporting a global moratorium. In parallel, it should put in place strong measures to reduce its material footprint, thus making deep-sea mining unnecessary and preventing a terrestrial mining boom.