Government shuts down controversial deep sea industry with bold ban: 'We hope this decision serves as an inspiration'
Portugal has taken a major step in protecting its valuable ocean resources by passing a moratorium on deep-sea mining that bans the activity until at least 2050.
According to Portugal Resident, the move is the first measure of its kind in the world. It comes in response to years of research regarding concerns about disturbing deep-sea ecosystems. In 2018, Portugal hosted a conference to discuss "the challenges of current and future deep sea mining.
Four years later, Portugal and Kenya co-hosted the 2022 United Nations Ocean Conference to develop "science-based innovative solutions" to better protect the ocean.
Tiago Pitta e Cunha, president of the Executive Commission of the Oceano Azul Foundation, noted the "enormous influence" that Portugal had through the conference.
Speaking to UN News, Pitta e Cunha highlighted the deep-sea mining ban's significance.
"Portugal is the first country to put this into law — the first in Europe to establish a deep-sea mining moratorium until 2050," Pitta e Cunha said, as Portugal Resident translated.
According to Pitta e Cunha, although the ban has a built-in shelf life, it provides a strong message.
"This is especially important because laws hold more weight than parliamentary resolutions," Pitta e Cunha noted. "Simply put, this moratorium can only be overturned by passing a new law."
Deep-sea mining is the extraction of minerals and resources from the ocean floor, which can collect valuable metals such as cobalt, copper, nickel, and manganese. As the World Wildlife Fund noted, deep-sea mining can lead to biodiversity loss, habitat destruction, and the release of toxins and stored carbon.
While the deep-sea mining ban may prove to be a major milestone in Portugal, Pitta e Cunha hopes it is just the first ban of many in the world.
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"We hope this decision serves as an inspiration to other countries that have begun similar discussions," Pitta e Cunha said.
"With Portugal's leadership, we aim to see an increase in the number of nations not only advocating for a moratorium but also progressing legislative action in this regard in the coming year," Pitta e Cunha added.
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