.png)
00:00
00:00
00:00
Nakinskie Robinson reports
There is an appeal for the Jamaican government to support the global call for a moratorium on deep sea mining.
The urgent appeal made by a coalition of 19 civil society groups and concerned individuals follows the signing of a controversial executive order in April 24 by US President Donald Trump.
The lobby group Jamaica Environment Trust (JET) says a moratorium on deep sea mining is the best solution to protect the ocean, uphold international law and preserve the common heritage of humankind.
Chief Executive Officer Dr. Theresa Rodriguez-Moodie adds that, as the host country of the International Seabed Authority, Jamaica has a special responsibility to join the growing international call for a moratorium which would delay the potentially dangerous digging.
The Trump administration's executive order instructs the US Secretary of Commerce to expedite the process for evaluating and delivering exploration and exploitation permits under the US Deep Seabed Hard Minerals Resources Act.
The order seeks to fast-track deep sea mining in US and international waters, potentially threatening fragile marine ecosystems and undermining decades of international cooperation.
JET says of particular concern is the Minerals Company USA, a private deep sea mining entity that on April 29 submitted applications to the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration for two exploration licences and a commercial recovery permit.
The licences would cover areas in the Clarion-Clipperton Zone of the Pacific Ocean, parts of the international seabed that fall under the jurisdiction of the International Seabed Authority.
The environmental lobby group contends that the company's actions, bolstered by the executive order, supplant the ISA's legal authority and undermine the principles of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.
Dr. Rodriguez-Moodie explains that a moratorium would send a strong signal that no single state or corporation can unilaterally claim the ocean's resources and allow time for vital scientific research into the deep seas mining risks to fragile marine ecosystems, ensuring future decisions are informed, cautious and based on evidence not profit.
The consequences of mining activities in the deep sea ecosystem could have catastrophic and irreversible consequences.
The deep sea is filled with valuable metals like cobalt and nickel as well as other mysterious creatures.