Imagine if we could go back in time and stop dangerous oil drilling. Stopping an industry before it has a chance to start will prevent further environmental and climate catastrophes.
Deep sea mining is a brand-new destructive industry on the precipice of starting, which would involve mining metals and minerals from the seabed. If allowed to start, this industry would damage the oceans beyond repair, possibly driving countless species to extinction.
What’s at risk from deep sea mining?
One of the scariest risks when it comes to deep sea mining is that we can’t possibly fully understand the risks. Did you know that we know more about the surface of the moon than what lies on our seabed? We only know a tiny fraction of what’s in the deep sea, and we’re discovering new things every year.
The things we do know about the deep sea are awe-inspiring. Kilometres deep in the ocean live fantastic creatures like the strawberry squid, dumbo octopus, fangtooth, and countless others. These creatures have all adapted to their unique deep-sea environment – an environment that would be threatened by deep sea mining.
Companies want to extract metals from the seabed to sell them to industries that need increasing amounts of manganese, cobalt, nickel and copper for one simple reason: to make a profit. To them, the sea is just another frontier to exploit for money.
Mining companies are saying they need to mine the seabed for the metals needed to make batteries for renewables and electric cars. But mining one of the last untouched ecosystems on Earth will never be “green”.
And deep sea mined metals could be used in any industry. The US government, for example, has now decided that mining the seabed will help secure metals to use in weaponry. Destroying the seabed and precious ocean life for materials to wage war is a new low.
Stop Deep Sea Mining – How can you help?
We are in a crucial moment. The International Seabed Authority is meeting to decide whether to give the mining industry the green light to go ahead with their deep sea mining plans.
Some governments have already voiced their concerns about deep sea mining. Others already called for a moratorium or a ban. In December 2024, the movement to stop deep sea mining managed to pressure Norway into pausing their plans to mine the Arctic. We need to call on the Australian Government to stop the launch of this destructive new extractive industry and put the deep sea off-limits to mining for good.
We have a once-in-a-generation opportunity to stop this damaging industry before it starts right here in the Pacific.
