The regulations on marine environmental protection for deep seabed mining issued by the international seabed authority

Abstract

The International Seabed Authority (ISA) was established under the United Nations Convention on Law of the Sea 1982 (UNCLOS) to organize and control the exploration for and exploitation of seabed mineral resources in areas beyond the limits of national jurisdiction (the Area). The ISA has a duty to ensure the effective protection of the marine environment from potentially harmful activities. To perform this task, the ISA adopted fundamental regulations on prospecting and exploration of three marine mineral resources, the Regulations on Prospecting and Exploration for Polymetallic Nodules, for Polymetallic Sulphides, and for Cobaltrich Ferromanganese Crusts. This article describes and analyses the regulations on marine environmental protection for exploitation of seabed mineral resources in areas beyond the limits of national jurisdiction, and also examines and give some comments on the regulations on marine environmental protection set forth in the draft regulations on exploitation of mineral resources in the Area.