Lisbon / New York
The Global Parliamentary Declaration Calling for a Moratorium on Deep Seabed Mining was officially launched today by Ms. Marie Toussaint, PGA Member and Member of the European Parliament (France), at the side event of the UN Ocean Conference on “Currents of Political Change: Reviewing our Common Heritage and Common Responsibility in light of the Climate Crisis and Dangers of Deep Sea Mining (DSM).”
Pointing at the destructive risks of deep seabed mining for our oceans, its ecosystems, and our planet as a whole, she stressed the necessity to gather forcesas the future of our oceans concern us all. She called on parliamentarians from around the world to join the moratorium in a demonstration of solidarity with the people of the Pacific region; to urge governments to participate in negotiations at the International Seabed Authority (ISA) to increase the level of transparency in the ISA decision-making process; and to request a complete reform of the ISA so that it becomes a transparent, accountable, effective and inclusive regulatory body committed to defending the deep sea.
Honorable Ralph Regenvanu, MP (Vanuatu), co-initiator of the Declaration and Chair of the Pacific Parliamentarians’ Alliance on DSM, appealed to other Pacific islands to follow the leadership of Fiji (the first Pacific Island State to declare a ban on DSM within its national jurisdiction). Recalling the interlinkage of the climate, biodiversity, pandemic and economic crises - all consequences of human activities and “the dominant value system that underpins our economic structures” - he stressed the need to listen to the expertise of indigenous communities and scientists who are warning us against the destruction and harm of DSM. Together with PGA, the Pacific Parliamentarians’ Alliance is committed to unite political efforts to “draw a blue line on deep sea mining”.
Ambassador Samuel Laloniu, UN Permanent Representative of Tuvalu to the UN; Ms. Debbie Ngarewa-Packer, MP (New Zealand); Senator Sabina Flores Perez (Guam); and Mariama Williams, feminist economist, all underlined the necessity of prioritizing our responsibility, obligation and privilege to preserve our culture and traditional knowledge to preserve the oceans as our common heritage.
The scientific community, civil society, fishing industry, and politicians have raised concerns that the risks associated with further damaging the deep-sea outweigh any potential net benefits for humankind. The deep sea, the world’s largest biome, accounts for up to 90 percent of the marine environment. Though the deep sea is one of the most inaccessible areas on Earth, it plays a crucial role in regulating the planet including through the absorption and storage of immense quantities of the carbon dioxide released into the air by human activity. The scientific community, civil society, fishing industry, and politicians have raised concerns that the risks associated with further damaging the deep-sea outweigh any potential net benefits for
humankind. Many experts urge extreme caution, considering the inevitable and likely irreversible biodiversity loss if deep-sea mining is permitted. The International Seabed Authority (ISA) has initiated negotiations to develop regulations for deep seabed mining (DSM) exploitation and is attempting to adopt them by July 2023. The International Seabed Authority (ISA) has initiated negotiations to develop regulations for deep seabed mining (DSM) exploitation and is attempting to adopt them by July 2023, a deadline triggered by Nauru on behalf of a Canadian company that intends to apply for a mining license in the 2nd half of 2023. Members of the scientific community, civil society organizations, fishing industry associations, and politicians have raised concerns that the risks associated with further damaging the deep-sea outweigh any potential net benefits for humankind. Many experts urge extreme caution, considering the inevitable and likely irreversible biodiversity loss if deepsea mining is permitted.
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Factsheet for Parliamentarians: Protecting the Deep Seabed
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Factsheet for Parliamentarians: Timeline for Protecting the Deep Seabed
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The Global Parliamentary Declaration Calling for a Moratorium on Deep Seabed Mining is open for signature by all Members of National and Provincial/State Parliaments as well as Members of Regional Parliaments.