Should deep seabed mining be allowed?

- Whether deep seabed mining should proceed or not is rarely asked.
- Deep seabed mining is justified under international law only if it benefits humankind.
- Deep seabed mining assumed to yield a net balance of benefits to humankind as a whole.
- Assumption needs to be tested in light of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

Commercial interest in deep sea minerals in the area beyond the limits of national jurisdiction has rapidly increased in recent years. The International Seabed Authority has already given out 26 exploration contracts and it is currently in the process of developing the Mining Code for eventual exploitation of the mineral resources. Priority issues have so far been feasibility and profitability of this emerging industry, while relatively little consideration has been given as to how, and to an even lesser extent, whether deep seabed mining should proceed. This article makes a case that the global community should question and scrutinize the underlying assumption that deep seabed mining is going benefit humankind as a whole before commercializing the common heritage of humankind.