Ocean Advocates Celebrate ‘Huge Win’ as Norway Pauses Deep-Sea Mining Plans

Norway agreed on Sunday to stop the first round of licensing for Arctic deep-sea mining following pressure from the Socialist Left Party (SV), reported The Guardian.

The small leftwing party refused to support the government’s budget if it did not halt deep-sea mining exploration licenses scheduled for next year.

“This puts a stop to the plans to start deep-sea mining until the end of the government’s term,” said SV party leader Kirsti Bergstø, as The Guardian reported.

The announcement came after over a year of pressure from scientists, environmental activists and the international community, a press release from Greenpeace said.

🚨 HUGE WIN – Norway agreed to stop deep sea mining in the Arctic This is a win for global mobilisation and a huge step forward to protect the Arctic This fragile ecosystem is safe from deep sea mining at least until the end of 2025 – and we won’t stop there #StopDeepSeaMining

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— Greenpeace International 🌍 (@greenpeace.org) December 2, 2024 at 8:43 AM

“This is a huge win! After hard work from activists, environmentalists, scientists and fishermen, we have secured a historic win for ocean protection, as the opening process for deep sea mining in Norway has been stopped. The wave of protests against deep sea mining is growing. We will not let this industry destroy the unique life in the deep sea, not in the Arctic nor anywhere else,” said deep-sea mining campaigner Haldis Tjeldflaat Helle with Greenpeace Nordic, in the press release.

At the beginning of 2024, Norway became the first nation to approve commercial deep-sea mining.

According to the country’s coalition government, preparatory work — such as setting regulations and conducting environmental impact assessments — would continue while the licenses were suspended, reported The Guardian.

“This will be a postponement,” Prime Minister of Norway Jonas Gahr Støre, a member of the Labour party, told private broadcaster TV2.

Norway is being sued by WWF over its plans to allow companies to mine an area of more than 100,000 square miles for deep-sea minerals without taking proper measures to adequately investigate the consequences.

The Norwegian Environment Agency said the impact assessment did not provide a sufficient legal or scientific basis for deep-sea mining.

A worldwide moratorium on deep-sea mining has been called for by over 900 ocean scientists.

Earlier this year, Europe’s parliament expressed concern over Norway’s decision to allow the destructive activities and called on Norwegian member states to back a moratorium.

“There will be no announcement of exploration rights for deep-sea mining in 2024 or 2025,” SV said in a statement, as AFP reported.

Norway’s government said a study confirmed that a substantial store of minerals and metals — including copper and rare earth elements — were discovered on its continental shelf. These metals are necessary for the transition away from fossil fuels, it argued.

A 32-member coalition, including France, Brazil, the United Kingdom, Canada and Germany, has called for a deep-sea mining moratorium in international waters.

“Millions of people across the world are calling on governments to resist the dire threat of deep sea mining to safeguard oceans worldwide. This is a huge step forward to protect the Arctic, and now it is time for Norway to join over 30 nations calling for a moratorium and be a true ocean champion,” said Louisa Casson, campaigner for Greenpeace International Stop Deep Sea Mining, in the press release.

Deep-sea mining is devastating to marine ecosystems, producing toxic sediment plumes that choke the unique sea life that lives on the bottom of the ocean floor while creating disruptive noise pollution and turning the seabed into a barren wasteland.

“Stopping the Norwegian deep sea mining plans is an important step in stopping this industry from destroying life at the bottom of the sea. Any government that is committed to sustainable ocean management cannot support deep sea mining. It has been truly embarrassing to watch Norway positioning itself as an ocean leader, while planning to give green light to ocean destruction in its own waters,” Helle said in the press release.