Good Reasons to be Concerned about Seabed Mining

There is growing opposition to proposed seabed mining targeting South Africa’s Exclusive Economic Zone. Several concerns were raised at a recent seabed mining seminar in Cape Town hosted by the Centre for Environmental Rights.

It was never likely to be popular. Now marine scientists are warning of potential irreparable damage to South Africa’s seabed should proposed seabed mining go ahead as planned. A study presented to CER’s seminar detailed several reasons to be concerned about three offshore phosphate prospecting rights granted in 2012 and 2014, involving about a tenth of South Africa’s underwater territory.

The study, by University of Cape Town PhD candidate Jock Currie, showed that the current prospecting area overlaps with several critically endangered habitats, some of them unique. In addition the mining companies are targeting areas valuable to the country’s trawl fishing industry,  which could prompt further difficulties.