ISA-backed Deep Sea Miners press ahead with training regime
As US President Donald Trump moves to expedite deep sea mining exploitation, the 22 contractors who hold exploration only licences through the international regulator are pressing ahead with their training regimes.
Contractors from France, Germany and China all have looming deadlines in May for applicants to access competitive training programmes in deep sea mining.
The training programmes are a mandatory part of their licences issued by the International Seabed Authority and must be offered to qualified applicants from developing countries.
The focus on developing states is part of efforts to ensure that deep sea mining resources are available to small and developing states, not just rich ones. This is a key remit of the ISA, which in addition to regulating deep sea mining, must ensure its exploits are equitably distributed.
The contractors with open applications for at-sea training, engineering, or research fellowships are Ifremer, France, and China Ocean Mineral Resources R&D Association which both have ISA contracts for polymetallic sulphides exploration, as well as China Minmetals Corporation (CMC) and Germany's BGR which have ISA contracts to explore polymetallic nodules in the Pacific.
Scores of deep sea mining training programmes by exploration contractors have been conducted since 2013, so the upcoming training deadlines in May should not be seen as an escalation of activity.
The ISA has not given the go-ahead for full scale commercial mining of the open seabed. However it has allowed these 22 contractors to explore specific areas under their licences, collect deposits and conduct tests.
In response to Trump's announcement last week that the US would open bids and regulate its own deep sea mining regime, the ISA has made it clear that this is a breach of international law and that it is the only body with the remit to permit seabed mining.
The ISA had previously said it would complete regulations by the end of 2025 paving the way for exploitation activities.