Deep sea mining can affect our most important industries

The status of deep-sea mining is that the moratorium imposed by the former Greenlandic government expires at the beginning of 2024.

It is therefore permissible under current legislation to obtain an exploration license for offshore activities also in areas designated as "deep sea", according to the Greenland Government, which in March 2024 agreed to a precautionary pause of a maximum of two years in relation to deep sea mining, which means that exploration permits are permitted, but that exploitation cannot be permitted during the pause.

Naalakkersuisut Minister for Raw Materials, Naaja H. Nathanielsen (IA) recently told Sermitsiaq that, based on the precautionary principle, she expects to propose a real ban on deep-sea mining during this election period, which will, however, require both approval by Naalakkersuisut and adoption by Inatsisartut.

Major knowledge gaps about consequences

The environmental organization Oceans North Kalaallit Nunaat is pleased with the statement by the Greenlandic government, because they also believe that there is not enough knowledge about the consequences of deep-sea mining.

– As long as there are such large knowledge gaps about how it affects the marine environment and ecosystems, we are against deep-sea mining and believe that a moratorium is in order, says Parnuna Egede Dahl, special consultant at Oceans North Kalaallit Nunaat.

– We have supported the two-year pause advocated by the Kingdom of Denmark, and we hope that it can continue or become an actual moratorium, but we note with concern that the Faroe Islands actually show little interest in whether deep-sea mining can become a new economic adventure for them. This is something we are focusing on next year, when there is the UArctic-Conference in Torshavn, where we are planning a session on deep-sea mining versus deep-sea ecosystems, says Parnuna Egede Dahl and adds:

– Because there is so much interest from China and the US in particular to start deep sea mining, we hope to be able to pull in the opposite direction in the areas where we have an influence.

Research articles on consequences

Oceans North Kalaallit Nunaat is particularly focused on what science says about the consequences of deep-sea mining.

– A new research article published in Nature this November shows, for example, that if dust from the seabed is pumped out further up the water column, it has a major negative effect on the primary production of phytoplankton, which in turn affects the rest of the food chain in the ocean, says Parnuna Egede Dahl, adding that “Since Greenland is so dependent on a good marine environment for fishing, one should be extra careful about affecting the balance in the ocean.”

The deep sea as geopolitical arena

Oceans North Kalaallit Nunaat agrees that a green transition is crucial to mitigating the impacts of climate change. But that does not mean that more minerals must be extracted.

– Sustainability should not begin with the assumption that new mineral resources need to be extracted. Instead, by prioritizing reuse, recycling, and research into better utilization of mineral waste, we can significantly reduce the need for new mineral resources. From an economic perspective, many of the metals targeted by deep-sea mining are not particularly rare and have profitable land-based alternatives. Some deep-sea mineral resources are only found in small, unprofitable quantities, and deep-sea mining will not eliminate the need for land-based mines. Furthermore, there is growing concern that the international deep sea could become a geopolitical arena, leading to resource races and potential conflicts between countries.

Fishing is the backbone of our economy.

At Greenland's Chamber of Commerce, director Christian Keldsen says that they have not yet taken a position on deep-sea mining.

– We are aware that there is a growing interest in the subject and that Greenland currently does not have an actual ban on it. Most activities can have both positive and negative side effects, and we expect this to be taken into account in a political assessment. In this regard, it is particularly worth paying attention to what regulation can mean for ongoing projects (for example, glacier flour) as well as fishing, which is the backbone of our economy, Christian Keldsen tells Sermitsiaq.

According to Naaja H. Nathanielsen, it would be problematic to ban all mining activities at sea, as it would also affect projects with glacial flour and sand extraction. “But I see no reason why deep-sea mining should be allowed,” she says.

40 countries currently support a moratorium or precautionary pause on deep-sea mining. The UN's International Seabed Authority (ISA) is continuing negotiations on an international code of conduct for deep-sea mining until March 2026. The aim is to create rules that balance extraction with the protection of marine ecosystems.