Deep-Sea Mining is Coming

In an interview with Yale Environment 360, Van Dover compared the deep sea to America’s Wild West and cautioned that wildlife losses could be similar if mining companies and the International Seabed Authority — the regulatory agency in charge of the ocean’s mineral resources — fail to establish environmentally sound mining practices before deep-sea exploitation begins.

Go read this now Deep-Sea Mining is Coming: Assessing the Potential Impacts by Erica Westly: Yale Environment 360.

And if you are not convinced about the regulation of deep-sea mining then check out the opinion piece by Van Dover in Nature.

In international waters, there are gaps — some say chasms — with regard to regulation, governance and conservation of special habitats in the deep sea, whether they are hydrothermal vents, cold seeps or deep-water coral reefs. Instead of leaving it to chance or to the goodwill of a few companies, conservation policies should become an integral part of international seabed regulation.