After 50 years of optimistic predictions that marine mining will soon take off, it still remains to be seen if and when this will happen. In 2018 the total value of all marine mining, including both offshore mining and the so far non-existing deep-seabed mining, was estimated to be around US$35...

The asymmetric nature of international investment agreements whereby home and host states agree on each other’s obligation to protect their respective investors while the investors undertake few, if any, obligations has resulted in something of a legitimacy crisis. This Perspective proposes a...

After 50 years of optimistic predictions that marine mining will soon take off, it still remains to be seen if and when this will happen. In 2018 the total value of all marine mining, including both offshore mining and the so far non-existing deep-seabed mining, was estimated to be around US$35...

This study explores possible futures of the mining industry through numerical analysis of a conceptual mineral extraction problem with two resource stocks - terrestrial and marine. The model is inspired by the manganese mining industry. We consider four model scenarios. The first two consider a...

Foreign capital has increasingly become involved in the exploration for deep sea minerals in the Area. Foreign-owned companies have received the sponsorship of their state of incorporation, as required by UNCLOS to be granted an exploration contract by the International Seabed Authority....

Four million square kilometers of seabed within the sovereignty of Pacific Island nations are currently under contract for mineral exploration or exploitation. Over a million additional square kilometers of the non-sovereign seafloor are licensed for such use. Historically, these licenses have...

The abyssal plain — the deepest part of the ocean — is littered with polymetallic nodules: lumps of minerals deposited through accretion over the course of millions of years. The existence of these mineral deposits, although not their exact nature, has been known since at least the...

The International Seabed Authority (ISA) equally referred to as the Authority was created with a mission to administer the Area and the resources found therein for the benefit of mankind as a whole. The Area in this case refers to the seabed and the ocean floor and subsoil beyond the limits of...

Foreign capital has increasingly become involved in the exploration for deep sea minerals in the Area. Foreign-owned companies have received the sponsorship of their state of incorporation, as required by UNCLOS to be granted an exploration contract by the International Seabed Authority....

The International Seabed Authority might soon start collecting royalties from the mining of minerals on the bed of the deep sea beyond national jurisdiction. It has been proposed that this money be allocated to Global Public Good Institutions (GPGIs). This paper analyses a proposal that consists...

The authors wish to thank the World Bank for financial support and accesses to information sources. For many helpful comments and suggestions, the authors are also grateful to Nicholas Treich and other conferees at the European Society for Benefit-Cost Analysis first annual meeting at the...

This article will focus on liabilities for the Area and examine the question of liability for the various actors involved, including contractors/operators who carry out the exploitation of resources, sponsoring States, flag States, and the International Seabed Authority. It is necessary to...

The aim of this paper is to provide an analysis and evaluation of the current legal regime governing the exploration and exploitation of the natural resources of the deep seabed, seen as a response to the existing and new challenges set by the global commons. More specifically, deep-sea mining...

Foreword by The Honorable Vincent Meriton, former Vice-President of Seychelles --Introduction: The Blue Economy in Sub-Saharan Africa /Donald L. Sparks --Part I: Elements of the Blue Economy --Culture, Communities and Society /Thean Potgieter --Tourism, Ecosystems, Biodiversity and Threats...

The international seabed, also known as the Area, consists of the seabed, ocean floor, and subsoil thereof beyond the limits of any national jurisdiction, and is governed by the International Seabed Authority. Under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, the Authority has a...

Environmental precaution has developed as one of the cornerstones of modern law concerning sustainability. The idea is that where there is uncertainty as to the effects of a proposed activity, such uncertainty should not be used as an excuse for taking no action to address effects. While New...

This short piece analyses a recent path-breaking decision by the Decision-making Committee (DMC) of the Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) of New Zealand. In Trans-Tasman Resources Ltd Marine Consent Decision (June 2014), the DMC considered New Zealand's first application for ‘marine...

The global commons are resource domains or areas which no nation exerts sovereignty over. Three typical global commons include the deep seabed, Antarctica and outer space. These domains are considered important due to not only their abundant resources, but also for the security of mankind. These...

Rapid developments in marine biotechnology and the prospect of sea-bed mining have exposed the inadequacy of legal frameworks to regulation the exploration exploitation, and sharing of the benefits that arise from such marine endeavors. The fact of the matter is that despite the giant strides...

This article questions the extent to which U.S. continental shelf seabed mining policy, as reflected in the U.S. administration's recently issued five-year OCS development plan and accompanying agency regulations, is influenced by international environmental law, especially the deep seabed...

[...] Um diesem Fernziel für die Meeres-Governance näher zu kommen stellt der WBGU zusätzlich Handlungsempfehlungen vor, die an laufende Politikprozesse anschließen. Dafür betrachtet er beispielhaft die beiden Schwerpunkte Nahrung – nachhaltige Fischerei und Aquakultur – sowie Energie...

[...] Um diesem Fernziel für die Meeres-Governance näher zu kommen stellt der WBGU zusätzlich Handlungsempfehlungen vor, die an laufende Politikprozesse anschließen. Dafür betrachtet er beispielhaft die beiden Schwerpunkte Nahrung – nachhaltige Fischerei und Aquakultur – sowie Energie...

This Green Paper takes stock of what has been done. It then opens a debate on the best strategy for moving forward to a new phase that meets the challenges defined here and profits from the opportunities to deliver an accessible, sustainable digital mapping of European sea-beds by 2020. It would...

The Seabed Disputes Chamber has issued an important opinion advising on the current state of the law regarding the obligations and liability of States sponsoring deep seabed mining activities in the zone beyond national jurisdiction ("the Area"). This presentation discusses the common heritage...

Patterns of abundance, biomass, and species richness are reviewed for deep-sea ecosystems. Long-term monitoring studies have indicated that deep-sea ecosystems are sensitive to climatic variability through its influence on the quantity and quality of surface primary production. The potential...

Introduction -- Natural resources and international law -- The Sea of Japan -- The East China Sea -- The South China Sea -- Conclusion -- Appendix: Maps of the Sea of Japan and the East and South China Seas

To date, mineral resources are only mined on land but projected increases in demand have brought the exploration and exploitation of marine mineral resources back into focus. The Atlantis II Deep, located in the central Red Sea between Saudi Arabia and Sudan, is one of the largest marine sulfide...

Tausende Meter unter der Meeresoberfläche erstreckt sich der gröt︢e Lebensraum der Erde: die Tiefsee. Ihre kalten und dunklen Abgründe bedecken über die Hälfte der Erdoberfläche. Lange Zeit hielt sie der Mensch für eine tote Wüste. Heute stossen Forscher aus aller Welt dort auf...