Norway halts Arctic seabed mining after ecological outcry
Norway has withdrawn the first round of licences for mining rare earth metals from the Arctic seabed following opposition from environmentalists. Naturalists have hailed this as a historic victory.
Norway was the first country to allow commercial extraction of resources from the ocean floor. In early 2024, the Norwegian parliament passed a law permitting the exploration of precious metal deposits essential for emerging green technologies. The European Union and the United Kingdom, among others, opposed such activities. Biologists and environmentalists also protested, highlighting the potential consequences of damaging the seabed. The small ecological party SV in Norway halted extraction, successfully blocking plans for deep-sea mining on the Arctic Ocean floor.
Environmentalists: Extracting resources will have catastrophic consequences
As recently as November, 120 European Union lawmakers sent a letter to the Norwegian parliament, urging the project's rejection due to the potential threat to marine biodiversity and climate change. Attention was focused on numerous shortcomings in the environmental impact assessment.
According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), techniques for extracting minerals from the seabed can generate significant noise and light pollution and damage habitats. Martin Webeler, an ocean advocate and researcher with the Environmental Justice Foundation, told the BBC that extracting metals from the ocean floor would have "catastrophic consequences" for ocean habitats.
Greenpeace: This is a key victory
Norway, which possesses significant hydrocarbon resources, is regarded as one of the richest economies in the world. However, This time, Oslo has had to set aside its ambitions to extract metals from the ocean floor. Although the government planned to issue exploration permits in 2025, this process has been temporarily suspended. Norway's minority government does not have the necessary support on this matter.
"This is a crucial win in the fight against deep sea mining. It should be the nail in the coffin for the destructive industry," commented Frode Pleym, head of the Norwegian branch of Greenpeace, as quoted by the Reuters agency.
Resource extraction may resume
Despite the suspension of the projects, the upcoming elections in Norway may change this situation. Two opposition parties leading in the polls, the Conservatives and the Progress Party, have expressed support for deep-sea mining. The head of the Norwegian branch of Greenpeace, quoted by the Reuters agency, announced a determined fight if the new government resumes issuing exploitation licences.
National experts also criticise the government. The Norwegian Institute of Marine Research (IMR) pointed out that the government based its decisions on studies covering a small area, and their results were directly applied to the entire area planned for drilling. Researchers from IMR suggest that further analyses concerning the impact on marine species may take 5 to 10 years.
Opening up parts of the continental shelf for deep-sea mining is part of Norway's economic strategy, announced in June 2023. The aim is to reduce dependence on oil and gas, which has been the backbone of the country's economy for years.
