121,640 of 150,000 signatures

EU Leaders, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Therese Coffey

Petition

Companies have continuously been digging, dredging and destroying our planet in search of precious metals. Now, they’re leaving no stone unturned and have set their sights on the deep seabed. EU leaders have a chance to prevent irreparable damage before it happens. Together, let’s stop them - tell EU leaders to ban the deep sea mining of our oceans - before it’s too late.

We’re calling on EU leaders to #StopDeepSeaMining by:

  • As members of the International Seabed Authority (ISA), push for ban, moratorium or precautionary pause of deep-sea mining in international waters, setting the example with a ban in European waters/continental shelves
  • Also as members of the ISA, prevent the granting of mining contracts, and ensure mining regulations are not adopted until scientific gaps are filled and risks properly assessed and understood
  • Invest in comprehensive and independent scientific research to to better understand the deep-sea’s unique biodiversity, the seabed’s larger role in our ocean and climate system the risks deep-seabed mining poses to the protection and prosperity of our ocean
  • Explicitly exclude deep-sea mining from the proposed EU Critical Raw Materials Regulation

Why is this important?

Major mining companies are eyeing up our oceans - they want free rein to dig, dredge, and devour the sea floor in search of precious metals. [1]

With key countries like Germany, Spain and France already backing calls for a ban or precautionary pause - we could finally put our oceans ahead of corporate profits! But the mining giants know this. That’s why their lobbyists are bending ears of key players - including the head of the ISA - pushing forward their agenda no matter the cost to our oceans. [2]

In their greedy pursuit of profits, corporations want to destroy marine life and habitats in our oceans - in the middle of a biodiversity emergency. [3] And our politicians are willing to give them the green light - unless we act now.

Marine scientists have warned that deep sea mining will release huge amounts of toxic sediments polluting our underwater ecosystems and compromising the ocean’s carbon pump. Not only this, they’ve also warned the noise and light pollution is particularly harmful to endangered marine life, such as the Blue Whale. [4]

The stakes couldn’t be any higher. If we don’t get a ban on deep sea mining over the line, then deep sea mining could start as early as July this year.

If we want to stand against the tidal force of the mining corporations and their lobbyists - then it’s an all hands on deck moment.

The more of us that join the movement calling for a ban on deep sea mining, the harder it will be for decision makers to cave in and ignore the will of the people.


References:

  1. https://savethehighseas.org/deep-sea-mining/
    https://www.soalliance.org/campaign-against-deep-seabed-mining
  2. https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2023/mar/21/row-erupts-over-deep-sea-mining-as-world-races-to-finalise-vital-regulations
  3. https://ejfoundation.org/what-we-do/ocean/stop-deep-sea-mining
    https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2021/sep/27/race-to-the-bottom-the-disastrous-blindfolded-rush-to-mine-the-deep-sea k
  4. https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2023/feb/14/deep-sea-mining-noise-poses-harm-blue-whales-scientists-warn
    https://www.france24.com/en/live-news/20230214-deep-sea-mining-noise-pollution-threatens-whales-study

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Mining companies have found a new frontier of profit: plundering the depths of our oceans.

We can’t afford to put marine life and delicate ecosystems at risk in the name of profit. The health of our oceans hangs in the balance. Tell your Minister that they should listen to over 120,000 of us rather than greedy mining companies.

Below are a few arguments you could use in your message:

  • Mention how concerned you are about deep sea mining’s impact on marine life and the rich ecosystems in the depths of the sea. While the vast range of life has yet to be discovered, we do know that large machines digging and dredging up the seafloor will destroy their habitat, and harm them through noise and light pollution, and by releasing toxic billowing sediment
  • Mention the central importance of the deep ocean in mitigating the climate crisis, and how as a voter, this is top of your priority list. Discuss how the deep sea is our biggest ally in the fight against climate breakdown, it acts as a massive carbon sink, and sequesters greenhouse gases, those responsible for the warming of our planet. Bulldozing into the sea will release massive amounts of carbon.

Some tips to help you along the way:

  • Be personal: Talk about why you care about this. Decision-makers are human beings too! We know that personal messages are a good way to get through to them.
  • Keep it polite: Ministers are much more likely to respond to a friendly message.
  • Ask them for a commitment to respond to your message.
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Please can you chip in?

Thanks for taking a stand to protect deep sea marine life and habitats by calling to stop toxic deep sea mining.

Together, we’ve run campaigns that have helped to protect oceans and the deep sea creatures who call it home - like banning ocean bottom trawling in EU marine protected areas starting in 2030.

By staying in the important fights over the long-term, we’re able to move Europe forward on protecting our oceans. That’s exactly what we’re going to keep doing.

Will you chip in to secure the resources we need to power more wins like this?

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