An ocean advocacy group has helped score a major win for the waters in and around Hawai'i, shutting down dangerous mining practices polluting the environment.
The Surfrider Foundation helped support the Hawai'i Seabed Mining Prevention Act, signed into law by Governor Josh Green in July this year. The law "prohibits the mining, extraction, and removal of minerals from the seabed in Hawai'i's marine waters while allowing exceptions for beach replenishment and scientific research," while aligning with precautionary principles and protecting native Hawaiians' rights.
Surfrider said it worked to get the bill through public education and grassroots advocacy.
"The time has come for the U.S. government to take a leadership role on the global stage by pushing for a moratorium on seabed mining in international waters until a suitable regulatory framework is established," the foundation said in a statement on its website.
The International Seabed Authority (ISA) was designated by the United Nations to oversee seabed mining activities, but Surfrider and other organizations feel their power is limited. In 2023, Greenpeace reported that Indigenous people from 34 nations signed a petition demanding the ISA enact a total ban on seabed mining.
Seabed mining has been growing in recent years, with many calling it a new "gold rush" as minerals used in lithium-ion batteries, like nickel, cobalt, copper, and manganese, can be found on the ocean floor. It can provide an alternative to mining on land for these materials, reducing the pollution and damage those practices can cause, but the negative impacts on marine life are still being explored.
Grist reported the dredging done by mining can kick up "clouds of metallic dust on the seafloor that suffocate organisms there." It can also create "a second such sediment plume closer to the water's surface, where the muddy seawater around the nodules is discharged after extraction, blocking sunlight for midwater organisms and polluting a different ocean ecosystem."
But Surfrider is seeing a growing pushback from legislatures around the U.S., including Washington and California, against seabed mining. And its efforts are continuing.
Rep. Ed Case from Hawaii's 1st District introduced two bills at the federal level to urge the ISA to set up a "suitable" regulatory framework, guarantee protections for marine ecosystems, and proper assessment of the impact of mining activities on marine life. This demonstrates the importance of voting for pro-climate candidates.
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