Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent environmental impact assessment his Department has made of deep-sea mining; and if he will make a statement.

The UK recognises the growing pressure to extract deep-sea resources and is deeply concerned about the potential impacts of mining activities on the fragile marine environment.

Through the UK’s sponsorship of academic research and existing exploration licences, over 70 peer-reviewed publications supporting a greater understanding of environmental issues associated with deep-sea mining have already been produced, with more to come. The Government (UKRI-NERC) is also funding the SMARTEX project on seabed mining and resilience to experimental impact, which aims to build a better understanding of the ecosystem in the Pacific abyss.

The Government commissioned an independent review from the British Geological Survey, the National Oceanography Centre and Heriot-Watt University to provide a comprehensive description of current research related to deep-sea mining. It includes elements such as environmental, economic and societal considerations, and identifies key outstanding questions and evidence gaps. The terms of reference and a summary of the evidence review were published in October 2022.

Informed by evidence, we continue to contribute to discussions on deep-seabed mining at the International Seabed Authority (ISA). We have agreed not to sponsor or support the issuing of any exploitation licences for deep sea mining projects unless or until there is sufficient scientific evidence about the potential impact on deep sea ecosystems, and strong and enforceable environmental standards have been developed by the International Seabed Authority and are in place. The UK’s approach is both precautionary and conditional.