Greenpeace: Deep-sea mining in Norway causes “irreversible” damage

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Greenpeace warned Norway on Friday that its plans to open the Arctic seabed to mining would cause “irreversible” damage to the entire marine ecosystem.

The Scandinavian country is expected to issue the first exploration licenses in 2025 and could be among the first nations in the world to develop the seabed, despite fierce criticism from scientists, NGOs and other countries.

“Norway’s plans for deep-sea mining in the Arctic will cause irreversible damage to biodiversity,” Greenpeace said in releasing a report entitled “Deep-sea mining in the Arctic: Living treasures at risk.”

It said deep-sea mining would pose a further threat to a little-understood ecosystem that is already threatened by global warming.

The dangers identified included direct destruction of seabed habitat and organisms, noise and light pollution, the risk of chemical leaks from machinery and equipment, and the inadvertent displacement of species.

“Mining will cause permanent damage to these ecosystems and it will remain impossible to assess the full extent of these impacts, let alone control them,” said Kirsten Young, research director at Greenpeace.

“Norway’s plans not only directly threaten species and habitats on the seabed, but also the wider marine ecosystem, from the smallest plankton to the largest whales,” she said in a statement.

Norwegian authorities have stressed that they should not rely on China or authoritarian countries for supplies of minerals essential for renewable technologies.

Oslo also argued that mapping and prospecting could fill knowledge gaps.

“The global transition to a low-carbon society will require huge amounts of minerals and metals,” Astrid Bergmal, State Secretary at the Energy Ministry, said in an email to AFP.

“Today, mineral extraction is largely concentrated in a small number of countries or companies.

This can contribute to a vulnerable supply situation, which is particularly challenging in today’s geopolitical situation,” she said.

Some of the minerals are used in the manufacture of batteries, wind turbines, computers and mobile phones.

Norway insists that any exploitation of the deposits would only take place once “responsible and sustainable” methods have been established. In addition, the first projects would have to be approved in advance by the government and parliament.

Oslo plans to open a 281,000 square kilometer area in the Norwegian Sea and the Greenland Sea – about half the size of France – for prospecting and intends to issue the first permits in the first half of 2025.

The protesters against Norway’s plans include the European Parliament and environmental organizations. Countries such as France and Great Britain as well as dozens of large companies called for a moratorium on deep-sea mining.

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