By Sibi Arasu and Tammy Webber
Environmental groups denounce a decree signed by President Donald Trump to accelerate the exploitation of the deep sea for minerals and minerals, saying that it could irreparably harm marine ecosystems and ignore a continuous process to adopt international rules for practice.
Trump’s order ordered the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to accelerate permits for businesses on Thursday to exploit the ocean background in American and international waters.
This decision comes as China controls many critical minerals such as nickel, cobalt and manganese used in high -tech manufacturing, including for military uses. Trump said that his order “establishes the United States as a world leader in mineral exploration and development of the seabed both within and beyond national jurisdiction”.
The ordinance also comes after the Canada -based metal company said it would require approval through an American subsidiary for mining in international waters.
Friday, the company published a statement on its website, saying that it was planning to request permits this year to exploit nodules that contain precious minerals “to strengthen American critical mineral supply chains”.
“As always, we remain determined to act in the best interest of our sponsor, partners, investors and planet,” said Gerard Barron, Chairman and CEO of the company.
But environmentalists fear that this can affect peaches and even affect the ocean capacity to absorb and store carbon dioxide, the main engine of global warming caused by the combustion of coal, gas and other fossil fuels.
More than 30 countries, as well as fisheries trade groups, environmentalists and certain automotive and technological companies, have called for a moratorium on the exploitation of seabed.
“Scientists agree that the exploitation of deep AS is a company deeply dangerous for our ocean and all of us depending on it,” said Jeff Watters, vice-president of affairs outside the conservancy. “The damage caused by the high -sea exploitation is not limited to the bottom of the ocean: this will have an impact on the entire water column, from top to bottom, and everyone and everything that is done there.
Such concerns prompted most countries in the 1990s to join an international authority for the United Nations of the United Nations to govern the exploitation of seabed in international waters. But the United States has never signed the effort, which has not yet adopted rules.
Watters warned that ignorance of these efforts “opens a door to other countries to do the same” before the adoption of the guarantees. The ramifications could resonate beyond the exploitation of the deep sea, affecting the agreements on fishing, shipping, navigation and marine research, warned Duncan Currie, legal advisor to the Deep Sea Conservation Coalition.
“This is clearly the greed of mining companies on common sense,” said Katie Matthews, chief scientist of the Oceana advocacy group. “Any attempt to accelerate operations on the high seas without appropriate guarantees will only accelerate the destruction of our oceans.”
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