Towards the abyss: how the rush to deep-sea mining threatens people and planet

Coral and crabs © The Schmidt Ocean Institute power to establish, in collaboration with the Council, of two thirds of the members of the Council present and general policies on all matters within the competence voting, including a majority in all five chambers, decide of the ISA.66 However, in practice, the power dynamics the application should be rejected.74 between the organs of the ISA are rath. [...] As required in the Implementation adopted, but many of these decisions must have first been Agreement, the LTC has performed the functions of the recommended by the Council.68 EPC so far and will continue to do so until such time as the Council decides otherwise, or until the approval of the first The Council is the executive body of the ISA made up of plan of work for exploitation.75 36 member st. [...] The ISA has a legal obligation to protect The Council is also empowered to issue emergency orders and conserve the marine environment for the “suspension” of operations in the Area “to prevent serious harm to the marine environment”.338 The ISA has a clear mandate under UNCLOS to protect The ISA’s mandate to protect our ocean is essential to and conserve the marine environment, its biodiversity, s. [...] Under the environment which represents a significant adverse Agreement for the Implementation of the Provisions of change in the marine environment determined UNCLOS relating to the Conservation and Management of according to the rules, regulations and procedures Straddling Fish Stocks and Highly Migratory Fish Stocks, adopted by the Authority on the basis of internationally “the absence of adequa. [...] and the technologies and operational practices are able to demonstrate no serious harm to the environment, in line with the precautionary principle”.367 40 In view of the significant gaps in current scientific In view of the significant gaps in current knowledge, the ISA is not in a position to make fully informed decisions to regulate the modalities of scientific knowledge, the ISA is not in a mi.