Bundesrat Calls for Moratorium on Deep Sea Mining
Published: Wednesday, Jun 28th 2023, 09:12
Mise à jour le : Vendredi, 13 octobre 2023, 14:12
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The Swiss Federal Council has expressed its support for a temporary moratorium on the commercial use of the international seabed. This decision is based on the government's commitment to combat the pollution of the world's oceans and to promote their sustainable development. The Council believes that without an appropriate regulatory framework, no commercial extraction of seabed resources should take place. This opinion is shared by most of the countries that are members of the International Seabed Authority (ISA). The Council's decision is supported by many states, environmental organizations, scientists and companies. Recent scientific findings have shown that deep-sea mining is not compatible with environmental protection requirements and poses a threat to the climate. The ISA has so far only issued exploration licenses for the area, but more and more states and companies are now interested in the commercial exploitation of mineral resources that are suitable for the energy transition, such as cobalt and manganese. The Swiss representatives at the 28th ISA Conference in Kingston (Jamaica) in July will advocate for a temporary moratorium on the commercial use of the seabed. This moratorium will remain in place until more scientific knowledge is available about its effects and effective protection of the marine environment from harmful impacts is ensured.
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