Deep Sea Mining

(asked on 16th March 2020) - View Source

Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, for which oceans have exploratory deep sea mining licences been issued.


Answered by
Nadhim Zahawi Portrait
Nadhim Zahawi
This question was answered on 24th March 2020

To date, the International Seabed Authority (ISA) has issued 29 exploration contracts to entities from 20 countries. The contractors include state-owned enterprises, as well as commercial organisations with a state sponsor.

The two UK exploration licence areas issued by the ISA are in the Clarion-Clipperton fracture zone in the Pacific Ocean.

The Government is developing the ISA’s deep sea mining code, so future mining is conducted in a safe and environmentally sensitive way.

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