Existing environmental management approaches relevant to deep-sea mining
Ecological management and conservation would be needed to mitigate potential stresses that could be caused by deep-seabed mining. For deep-seabed mining companies to be able to act transparently and responsibly, a legal and regulatory framework is needed.
By adapting existing management approaches and extending new systems of reporting and governance, environmental impacts of deep-seabed mining can be better understood and reduced. The paper illustrates this claim with the introduction of management tools for the Clarion-Clipperton Zone by the International Seabed Authority.
The advent of a new industry such as deep-seabed mining presents the opportunity to lay solid foundations of adaptable evidence-based policies, ensuring companies act responsibly and transparently.
The full paper can be found here.