Lawmakers in Norway make a deal opening up for deep sea mining in Arctic
Norway’s government and two large opposition parties have agreed to allow seabed mineral exploration in the Arctic
COPENHAGEN, Denmark (AP) — Norway’s minority center-left government and two large opposition parties made a deal Tuesday to open the Arctic Ocean to seabed mineral exploration despite warnings by environmental groups that it would threaten the biodiversity of the vulnerable ecosystems in the area.
Norway said in June it wanted to open parts of the Norwegian continental shelf for commercial deep-sea mining in line with the country’s strategy to seek new economic opportunities and reduce its reliance on oil and gas.
“This is a disaster for the sea,” said Frode Pleym, head of the local chapter of Greenpeace. “Norway is now allowing irreversible interventions in areas where nature is completely unknown.”
Martin Sveinssønn Melvær of the Norwegian Bellona environmental group said it was “completely contrary to scientific recommendations" and believes “it is a dangerous derailment in the fight against climate change to open up seabed minerals.”
