The following letter was sent to Prime Minister Marc Carney by 20 Canadian and international civil society organizations, coalitions, and unions, including MiningWatch Canada.
The Right Honourable Mark Carney, P.C., M.P.
Prime Minister of Canada
Office of the Prime Minister
80 Wellington Street
Ottawa, ON, K1A 0A2
RE: CANADA’S POSITION ON DEEP SEA MINING
We are Canadian, Indigenous, and international organizations who advocate for ocean protection. We are writing to you today about the threat of deep-sea mining, and the urgent need for Canada to increase its leadership on the issue and strengthen its commitment to responsible ocean governance.
We believe Canada is in a position to take a stand alongside other countries and be an ocean leader. To do so, we urge you to:
- Publicly re-assert Canada’s position supporting a moratorium on deep sea mining at the meetings of the International Seabed Authority (ISA) taking place from 7-25 July 2025.
- At the ISA meeting, take a strong position against the commencement of deep-sea mining, which includes refusing to adopt insufficient regulations and refusing to approve, or provisionally approve, any plan of work submitted by a company seeking to exploit the international seabed.
- Advocate for the highest level of transparency and good governance at the ISA, including for the ISA to continue holding open negotiating meetings with participation from Indigenous representatives, scientists, and civil society observers, and reject efforts to accelerate the Mining Code negotiations, against the advice of regulatory experts and scientists. Instead, Canada should advocate for the ISA to fulfil its obligations under UNCLOS and begin the mandated Article 154 review process.
- Speak out against the unilateral actions taken by the US Government and The Metals Company, a Canadian company, who are attempting to mine under US legislation, thus circumventing the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).
- Take steps under Canadian law, or enact necessary laws or pass necessary regulations, to ensure that The Metals Company does not take any further steps to breach international law and specifically UNCLOS through any unilateral unlawful deep sea mining permit granted by the United States - of specific concern is article 139 of UNCLOS, under which Canada has obligations.
UNCLOS, which establishes the ISA, is widely acknowledged as customary international law and the multilateral governance structure that is responsible for the international seabed and its resources. Canada is a party to UNCLOS and an active and influential member of the ISA, with a track record of advocating for strong environmental standards and the application of the precautionary approach, as well as the importance of equitable benefit sharing under the ISA regime. Years of work and significant resources have been invested in growing the ISA as an institution, increasing scientific and cultural knowledge of the deep sea, and developing the regulatory framework for managing seabed resources.
Despite controversies and challenges, States demonstrate commitment to improving the ISA’s functionality through multilateralism. These efforts remain true to the founding principles of the institution - equitable benefit sharing, the sustainable management of the seabed for peaceful purposes, and the principle that the international seabed is the common heritage of humankind as a whole. However, unilateral action by the US through an Executive Order signed on April 24 now puts all of this at risk as it “establishes the US as a global leader in seabed mineral exploration and development both within and beyond national jurisdiction” and instructs US agencies to expedite permits for companies to mine in both international and US territorial waters.
The Metals Company USA (a subsidiary of the Canadian parent company, The Metals Company) submitted applications on April 29 to the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) for two exploration licenses and one commercial recovery permit for areas in the international seabed. The applications were submitted under US domestic legislation, the Deep Seabed Hard Mineral Resources Act, which has never before been used to grant permits for seabed mining. This action by The Metals Company represents a serious threat to the deep sea and to international ocean governance, defying the jurisdiction of the ISA and undermining UNCLOS.
It is more critical than ever that Canada works with the 36 other countries who support a pause, moratorium, or ban on deep sea mining towards the responsible governance of the international seabed, by implementing a moratorium on deep sea mining in international waters and prioritizing the protection of the marine environment for future generations. The call for a moratorium on deep sea mining is supported by Indigenous Peoples from around the world; the fishing industry; over 900 scientists and policy experts; companies like Apple, Google, and Philips; and civil society organizations.
Moreover, we urge Canada to heed the recent calls by UN Special Rapporteurs that States “must urgently decide to implement a precautionary pause on deep sea mining activities, at Part II of the ISA 30th Session (June 23 – July 25 2025), to prevent irreversible harm to the marine environment, the climate system, and the full enjoyment of human rights, including the right to a clean, healthy and sustainable environment”; and heed calls made on Canada at its 4th Universal Periodic Review, in November 2023, to “prohibit Canadian-registered companies from conducting deep sea mining related operations in the Pacific Ocean”.
The science is unequivocal: deep sea mining would cause irreversible damage to fragile ecosystems that have evolved over millions of years. Recovery, if it occurs at all, would take centuries. Biodiversity would be lost before we get a chance to understand this fragile ecosystem, and the ecosystem services it provides to balancing ocean chemistry and planetary stability, as well as discoveries related to marine genetic resources and possibly life-saving pharmaceutical developments lost with it. Deep sea mining is incompatible with international commitments to protect ocean health and tackle the biodiversity and climate crises.
Sincerely,
Canadian Organizations
Catherine Coumans, Co-manager, MiningWatch Canada
Ernesto Fernandez Monge, International Oceans Director, Oceans North
Nikki Skuce, Director, Northern Confluence Initiative
Christy Ferguson, Executive Director, Greenpeace Canada
Jessica Clogg, Executive Director and Senior Counsel, West Coast Environmental Law Association
Jennifer Josenhans, National Director, SeaBlue Canada
Simon Wiebe, Mining Policy and Impacts Researcher, Wildsight
Shannon Arnold, Associate Director of Marine Programs, Ecology Action Centre
Shannon McPhail, Co-Executive Director, SkeenaWatershed Conservation Coalition
Jeffery Young, Senior Science and Policy Analyst, David Suzuki Foundation
Dr. Norah Bowman, Interdisciplinary Studies, Okanagan College
Gina Morris, Spokesperson, Kamloops Moms for Clean Air
Dan Lewis, Executive Director, Clayoquot Action
Grand Chief Stewart Phillip, President, Union of BC Indian Chiefs
Chief Don Tom, Vice-President, Union of BC Indian Chiefs
Chief Marilyn Slett, Secretary-Treasurer, Union of BC Indian Chiefs
International Organizations
Ruth J. Madsen, Chair, Thompson Institute of Environmental Studies, University of the Sunshine Coast, Australia
Alanna Smith, Director, Te Ipukarea Society, Cook Islands
Siotame Drew Havea, Chairperson, Civil Society Forum of Tonga
Helen Rosenbaum, Campaign Coordinator, Deep Sea Mining Campaign
Mark Haver, North America Regional Representative and Global Policy Advisor, Sustainable Ocean Alliance
Claire Slatter, Development Alternatives with Women for a New Era (DAWN)