WWF-Norway slams Norwegian government’s announcement of first licensing round for deep seabed mining

Oslo, 26 June - WWF-Norway strongly condemns the Norwegian Ministry of Energy’s proposal for the first licensing round for deep seabed minerals on the Norwegian continental shelf. This announcement opens the floor for public consultation, and further down the line for mining licences to be given.

The designated area, previously open for deep seabed mining activities has been segmented into blocks, each block representing a single licence up for application. The government has outlined a total of 386 blocks, comprising 38% of the total area available for deep seabed mining. The licences will encompass both an exploration and an exploitation phase.

Norway positioned itself at the forefront of seabed mining initiatives, despite stark warnings from national and international experts and significant criticism from the European Union and global research communities.

Karoline Andaur, CEO of WWF-Norway, expressed her grave concerns over this announcement:

“Licensing almost 400 blocks for deep seabed mining flagrantly disregarded environmental expert advice and the robust criticism directed at the Norwegian government by the international community. This marks a significant blow to Norway’s reputation as a responsible steward of the oceans,” says Andaur.

“The Norwegian government is misleading the public by claiming they have only opened areas for exploration. That is not true. The reality is that the licences granted will be for exploitation. Experience from the petroleum industry indicates that once significant investments are made, halting projects due to environmental concerns becomes nearly impossible,” Andaur adds.

“The strategic impact assessment conducted by the government reveals a lack of sufficient knowledge regarding the vulnerable ecosystems of the deep sea, rendering it impossible to accurately assess the potential consequences of exploration or exploitation. This move risks triggering an environmental catastrophe with irreversible damage to marine biodiversity.”

Links to more information:

1. Norwegian Ministry of Energy press release: https://www.regjeringen.no/en/aktuelt/public-consultation-of-the-first-licensing-round-for-seabed-minerals/id3047008/
2. Public consultation page: https://www.regjeringen.no/no/dokumenter/horing-av-arealforslag-utlysning-av-omrader-for-mineralvirksomhet-pa-havbunnen/id3046676/
3. WWF-Norway sues Norwegian government over deep seabed mining: https://www.wwf.no/wwf-norway-...