Last month Norway announced that they will allow deep-sea mining exploration on their continental shelf. They argue that the rest of the world can no longer afford to fall behind Russia and China, when it comes to supplying minerals.
However deep-sea mining can easily damage the ecosystems, which is why the European Parliament voiced their concerns regarding Norway’s plans. This month the Parliament voted in favor of raising official concerns as to how Norway proceeds.
Maria Varteressian, Norway’s state secretary at the ministry of foreign affairs, stated that the country is not planning to proceed until they know more of the consequences to deep sea-mining. Norway will not give licenses to companies until at least next year, and it might not be until 2030, before the companies start drilling.
Source: www.nationalreview.com
