International Seabed Authority facts for kids
 |
|
ISA Headquarters
|
|
| Abbreviation | ISA |
|---|---|
| Formation | 16 November 1994 |
| Type | Intergovernmental organization |
| Purpose | Regulate deep seabed mining and ensure the marine environment is protected from any harmful effects which may arise from mining activities |
| Headquarters | Kingston, Jamaica |
|
Membership (2018)
|
168 states parties |
|
Secretary-General
|
Michael W. Lodge |
|
Main organ
|
Assembly of the International Seabed Authority |
| Affiliations | Observer to the United Nations General Assembly |
|
Budget (2017 & 2018)
|
$17.1 Million |
| Website | www.isa.org.jm |
The International Seabed Authority (ISA) is a special group of 167 countries and the European Union. It was created in 1994 by a big international agreement called the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). The ISA is based in Kingston, Jamaica.
The ISA has two main jobs. First, it manages and controls the search for minerals on the deep ocean floor. This area is considered the "common heritage of all mankind", meaning it belongs to everyone. Second, the ISA works to protect the ocean environment from any harm that mining might cause. This includes the deep sea, which is water deeper than 200 meters (656 feet) where there is not enough light for plants to grow. The ISA looks after about half of the world's oceans. It makes sure that activities don't hurt the amazing variety of life in the ocean.
Since it started in 1994, the ISA has approved more than 24 contracts for companies to explore the ocean floor for minerals. Most of these exploration areas are in the Clarion-Clipperton Zone, which is between Hawaii and Mexico. This area has special rocks called polymetallic nodules that contain important metals like copper and cobalt. These metals are used in things like electric batteries.
So far, the ISA has not allowed any commercial mining to start. This is because they are still working on rules and regulations. Many scientists and environmental groups want to stop deep-sea mining completely. They worry that it could cause serious damage to the ocean, which is home to many rare and unique species. The ISA gets its money from its member countries and from the companies that explore for minerals. Its current leader is Secretary-General Michael Lodge.
Contents
How the ISA Started
The International Seabed Authority held its first meeting in Jamaica on November 16, 1994. This was the same day that the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) officially began. The ISA became an observer to the United Nations General Assembly in October 1996. This means it can attend UN meetings and share its views.
The ISA works by signing contracts with companies and other groups. These contracts allow them to explore specific parts of the deep seabed for mineral resources. These minerals include cobalt, nickel, and manganese.
The Ocean as "Common Heritage"
Under the UNCLOS agreement, the deep ocean floor and its resources are considered the "common heritage of mankind." This means they belong to everyone on Earth. Because of this, the ISA must make sure that all activities in this area are for peaceful reasons. It also ensures that any money made from these resources is shared fairly. Developing countries, which are often poorer nations, get special consideration.
How the ISA is Run
The ISA has a Secretary-General and two main groups that set its rules and guide its work. These are the Assembly and the Council.
The Secretary-General
The Assembly chooses a Secretary-General to be the ISA's main leader. This person serves for four years. The Secretary-General manages the ISA staff and writes a yearly report for the Assembly. This leader is not allowed to own any part of the mining companies that the ISA works with.
In July 2016, Michael Lodge from the United Kingdom was chosen as the Secretary-General. He started his four-year term on January 1, 2017.
The Assembly
The Assembly is made up of all the countries that are members of the ISA. This group chooses the 36 members of the Council. It also picks the Secretary-General from a list of people the Council suggests. The Assembly has the power to approve or reject the Council's ideas. These ideas include the rules for seabed mining, how to share any money made from mining, and the ISA's yearly budget.
The Council
The Council has 36 members, chosen by the Assembly. This group approves contracts with governments and private companies to explore and mine the international seabed. The Council also creates rules and procedures for how the ISA operates. These rules must be approved by the Assembly. The Council also suggests who should be the next Secretary-General. The ISA's main meetings usually happen in Kingston, Jamaica, and last for two weeks each year.
Advisory Groups
The ISA also has two important advisory groups. The Legal and Technical Commission has 30 members and gives advice to the Council. The Finance Committee has 15 members and handles money matters. All members of these groups are experts chosen by their governments. They serve in their roles as individuals, not as representatives of their countries.
The Enterprise
The UNCLOS agreement also created a group called the Enterprise. This group is supposed to be the ISA's own mining company. The idea is that it could make a lot of money, which would then be shared with developing countries. Some environmental groups, like Greenpeace, worry that the ISA being both a regulator and a business owner could be a problem. However, the ISA says there is no conflict of interest.
Where the ISA Has Power
The UNCLOS agreement explains the area where the ISA has power. This is called the "international seabed area." It means the ocean floor and the ground beneath it that is beyond any country's national borders.
Countries have their own national waters, which include:
- A "territorial sea" up to 12 nautical miles from their coast.
- An "exclusive economic zone" up to 200 nautical miles from their coast.
- A "continental shelf" that can extend even further if a country can prove it's a natural part of its land.
The ISA does not decide where these national borders are. That job belongs to another group created by UNCLOS, called the Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf. This commission looks at scientific information from countries that claim a larger continental shelf.
Exploring for Minerals
The ISA has not yet approved any commercial mining contracts. However, they expect that commercial mining could start as early as 2023 or 2024. This depends on finishing the ISA's mining rules. In 2021, the Pacific island nation of Nauru set a deadline. It said that the ISA must approve the final mining rules by July 2023. If not, companies could start mining under the existing draft rules.
What is Exploratory Mining?
Exploratory mining means looking for minerals. It involves things like mapping the deep sea, using special underwater robots or manned submarines, taking photos and videos, and drilling into the seabed.
The Clarion-Clipperton Zone
.jpg)
Most of the exploration happens in the Clarion-Clipperton Zone (CCZ). This huge area is in the Pacific Ocean, between Hawaii and Mexico. The CCZ is as wide as the United States. It is home to polymetallic nodules. These are potato-sized lumps of rock that formed over millions of years. They contain valuable metals like nickel, manganese, copper, zinc, and cobalt.
The CCZ is also home to many unusual deep-sea creatures. These include deep-water corals, sponges, and unique animals like "ghost octopuses," crustaceans, and sea cucumbers. These creatures often attach themselves to the rock-like nodules for shelter in the dark ocean. Companies want to mine these polymetallic nodules to get metals for electric car batteries, smartphones, and renewable energy storage.
Other Exploration Areas
Exploration contracts for polymetallic nodules have also been given out for areas in the Central Indian Ocean Basin and the Western Pacific Ocean. The ISA has also issued contracts to explore for other types of minerals. These include polymetallic sulphides in the South West Indian Ridge, Central Indian Ridge, and the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Contracts for cobalt-rich crusts have been issued in the Western Pacific Ocean.
Rules for Companies
Every company that gets an exploration contract must follow certain rules. They need to have a plan for what to do if something goes wrong during exploration. They must also report their activities each year. In addition, they need to offer training programs for people from developing countries.
What the ISA Does
Making Rules
One of the ISA's biggest achievements was creating rules in the year 2000 for exploring polymetallic nodules. These nodules contain different amounts of manganese, cobalt, copper, and nickel. They are found as potato-sized lumps scattered on the ocean floor, mostly in the central Pacific Ocean in the Clarion-Clipperton Zone, but also in parts of the Indian Ocean.
In 2013, the ISA updated its rules for deep-sea exploration. These changes said that companies should be careful to avoid polluting the ocean. They also must immediately tell the Secretary-General about any incidents that could harm the marine environment. The updated rules also said that companies can collect a small amount of material for testing, but not for selling.
In 2010, the ISA also made rules for exploring polymetallic sulphides. In 2012, they made rules for exploring cobalt-rich ferromanganese crusts. These are rich sources of minerals like copper, iron, zinc, silver, and gold. Sulphides are found near volcanic hot springs, especially in the western Pacific Ocean. Crusts are found on oceanic ridges and other places around the world.
Workshops and Research
Besides making rules, the ISA also holds yearly workshops. These meetings focus on different parts of seabed exploration. A big part of these workshops is discussing ways to protect the ocean environment from any harmful effects of mining. The ISA shares the information from these meetings through publications.
For example, studies over several years in the Central Pacific led to a report on ocean life. This report focused on how to predict and manage the effects of deep-sea mining. A workshop in Hawaii in 2007 suggested creating "preservation reference areas" in the Clarion-Clipperton Zone. In these areas, nodule mining would be forbidden to keep the natural environment safe.
In recent years, the ISA has also hosted workshops on other important topics. These include increasing the role of women in deep-sea science, managing deep seabed resources in a sustainable way, and sharing the economic benefits of deep-sea mining.
Images for kids
-
Member states represented in blue; observer states in yellow (note: the European Union also holds membership)
-
The Clarion-Clipperton Zone, a large area between Hawaii and Mexico, known for mineral nodules and unique species.
