Kategorie: News
New study warns of underestimated risks
A hidden threat in the deep sea: the debate surrounding the extraction of mineral resources from the oceans is taking on a worrying new dimension: a recent scientific study by the Deep Sea Mining Campaign reveals that industrial deep-sea mining could release radioactive substances – with far-reaching consequences for people and the natural world.
Whilst the International Seabed Authority (ISA) is currently deliberating on regulations for future mineral extraction on the seabed, experts are sounding the alarm. Their finding: particularly when mining manganese nodules and sulphide deposits, there is a risk that naturally occurring radioactive isotopes will be mobilised and dispersed over vast distances in the ocean.
A risk to the entire food chain
The potential implications are serious. Radioactive particles could accumulate in sensitive deep-sea ecosystems, which are already among the least researched and most vulnerable habitats on our planet. But the danger does not end in the depths: via the food chain, contaminated substances could also reach fish stocks – and thus ultimately end up on our plates.
The deep sea is home to countless species, many of which have not yet even been scientifically described. Many of these organisms grow extremely slowly and are highly sensitive to changes in their environment. Scientists already believe that industrial mining operations would cause significant, lasting and, in many cases, irreversible damage.
Growing international opposition
In light of these findings, the Society for the Rescue of Dolphins (GRD) has issued a letter of protest calling on the German government to unequivocally advocate for a moratorium – that is, a temporary halt – on deep-sea mining.
Support for this demand is growing worldwide: Kenya and Madagascar are the latest two countries to have recently joined such a moratorium. A total of 43 countries now support a halt to commercial deep-sea mining until the environmental risks have been fully understood and assessed.
Profit or caution?
The current debate raises fundamental questions: Are we entitled to intervene in a virtually unexplored habitat whose significance for the global climate system and biodiversity we barely understand? There is a huge demand for raw materials for batteries, electronics and green technologies – yet experts warn against repeating old mistakes and risking a new environmental crisis.
New findings on radioactive risks make it clear: deep-sea mining is not just about plumes of sludge and disturbed sediments. It is about potentially toxic, long-lasting contamination, the full extent of which we cannot yet even begin to estimate.
What can we do?
For consumers, there is an important message here: every conscious purchasing decision counts. Those who use electrical appliances for longer, have them repaired rather than throwing them away, and look out for sustainability when buying, help to curb the hunger for raw materials. Recycling electronics and batteries closes raw material cycles – and reduces the pressure to develop new mining areas.
At the same time, governments and corporations must step up: they need to invest in alternative sources of raw materials, drive forward recycling technologies and make onshore mining – with all its well-known problems – cleaner, rather than shifting operations to the unknown depths of the ocean.
A moratorium as an opportunity
The moratorium, supported by 43 countries, is not a blanket rejection of progress. Rather, it is a call for caution – a demand for time to truly understand the risks before it is too late. For in the deep sea, there is no quick fix. Nature there needs millennia to regenerate.
The forthcoming decisions by the International Seabed Authority will show whether the protection of our oceans is taken seriously – or whether short-term economic interests will once again take precedence.
Study: dsm-campaign.org/risks-of-radiation-toxicity-from-deep-sea-mining/
Letter of protest: https://www.delphinschutz.org/spenden-helfen/protestaktion/tiefseebergbau/
More information on the topic:
Deep-sea mining threatens unique habitats
Annual Conference of the ISA 2023
Licences granted for one million square kilometres of seabed