The lack of knowledge and the numerous risks to ocean health, fisheries, sustainable development and to important climate functions, point clearly to the need for precaution. A healthy ocean is also emerging as crucial in the fight against the climate crisis.
NO U UNO CARD FULL
While we know the deep sea is full of life and hosts planetary important processes such as carbon sequestration and other ecological functions, much of it remains yet to be explored and scientifically understood. Since deep seabed mining would affect areas at a continental scale, it’s important not only to consider these risks at a project level but to look at their cumulative impact. Next to direct destruction of ecosystems and loss of unique biodiversity and genetic resources when minerals are mined, damage and disturbance is also expected to arise from light, noise and sediment pollution. Therefore, every human disturbance of these vulnerable ecosystems demands the highest precaution.Įxtraction of deep seabed minerals – deep seabed mining – would substantially increase the human footprint on these important ecosystems.
Given the slow pace of deep-sea processes, destroyed habitats are unlikely to recover within human timescales. Deep-sea ecosystems have experienced little disturbance from human activities up to now, and we know they are likely to have low levels of resilience. However, the ocean is already heavily impacted from a multitude of stressors, such as climate change, overfishing, pollution, habitat destruction, acidification and noise.īecause of its sheer size, the deep sea constitutes the largest contiguous habitat for species and ecosystem diversity on Earth, and supports many unique and diverse ecosystem processes necessary for the Earth’s natural systems to function. The ocean and its ecosystems provide innumerable and important benefits for people and economies across the world, including food, livelihoods, income generation and climate regulation. Business Statement Supporting a Moratorium on Deep Seabed Mining
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