Companies could start mining the seabed without legal restrictions if the government fails to meet a July 2023 deadline to enact deep sea mining regulations
environment
December 31, 2022
Metals Company’s drillship Hidden Gem has been converted to collect deep-sea nodules Jochen Tack/Alamy
Governments and corporations have been keeping a close eye on mineral resources buried in the deep ocean for decades, but a regulatory vacuum in seabed mining has discouraged would-be miners.
That will all change in 2023 as the government meets a July deadline Agree on regulations governing deep sea mining – Otherwise mining companies may start working on the seabed without any rules.
Led by the UN watchdog, the international…
