Plans to open a vast area of the Arctic seabed to mining will cause “irreversible harm” to unique and vulnerable wildlife and habitats, Greenpeace International has warned.
Norway’s parliament approved commercial mineral exploration in the country’s Arctic waters even as the environmental and fishing lobbies pushed back against the move.
The loud noise made by deep sea mining could pose a grave danger to whales and other sea creatures that use sound to communicate, scientists have said.
Deepsea mining is arguably the most exciting yet controversial segment of the blue economy, which the United Nations estimates boasts an estimated annual turnover of $3-6trillion.
With an estimated 70% of the world's mineral deposits located under the ocean, subsea technology developed in the oil and gas sector could help open up the potential of submerged mining.