Policy issues

Dear colleagues,

The International Seabed Authority (ISA) convened a workshop on “Regional Environmental Management Plan for the area of the Northern Mid-Atlantic Ridge” in November 2019 in Évora, Portugal (See https://www.isa.org.jm/workshop/workshop-regional-environmental-management-plan-area-northern-mid-atlantic-ridge for the details of the workshop). During the workshop break-out session, the “active vent group”, reviewed and compiled the relevant scientific  information to describe active vent sites as Sites in Need of Protection relating to Article 145 of the Convention (see Appendix 1-1 of Annex IX of the report of this workshop

The final report from the Workshop on Regional Environmental Management Plan for the Area of the Northern Mid-Atlantic Ridge (MAR), organized by the International Seabed Authority (ISA) in collaboration with

The United Nations Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development 2021-2030 is a critical opportunity to galvanise transformative actions for the ocean we need for the future we want.

Please find attached the official announcement and the provisional agenda for the international workshop “Towards a standardised approach to Regional Environmental Management Plans in the Area”. The workshop will be held on 11-13 November and will be hosted by Germany in cooperation with the Netherlands and the Pew Charitable Trusts.

The Legal and Technical Commission of the International Seabedauthority (ISA) has released an updated proposal of Draft Regulations on Exploitation of Mineral Resources in the Area.

ISA has led several rounds of global stakeholder consultation over the last five years to develop the draft exploitation regulations, which will regulate exploitation of deep-sea minerals in a way that supports the commercial recovery of seafloor mineral resources with effective protection for the marine environment.

InterRidge was represented by its co-Chair Jérôme Dyment at the first part (25 February – 1 March) of the 25th session of the International Seabed Authority (ISA) held in Kingston (Jamaica).

Members and Observers of the International Seabed Authority (ISA) as well as other Stakeholders are invited to submit their comments on the revised draft regulations on exploitation of mineral resources in the Area (ISBA/24/LTC/WP.1/Rev.1 and ISBA/24/C/20) by 30 September 2018. If you do so, please send us a copy of your comments.

Nadine Le Bris and Jérôme Dyment, co-chairs of InterRidge, attended the 24th Session of the Council of International Seabed Authority that took place in Kingston on 5-9 March 2018, preceding a session of the Legal and Technical Commission (LTC).

At the 2012 InterRidge Steering Committee meeting, in St. Petersburg, Russia, national representatives recommended the formation of an Industry Liaison Committee, to work with the ocean mining industry. This decision came in response to the recent granting of exploration licenses to several countries by the International Seabed Authority, for the evaluation of seafloor massive sulphide deposits (SMS) on mid-ocean ridges. Read the first report.