DEEP SEA MINERALS - Vol 1 - Sea-Floor Massive Sulphides

3.1

Environmental management objectives

A key issue at the outset, before any exploration or extraction occurs, is the clear definition of environmental objectives that will guide the management of any mining operation. These will vary regionally and nationally, but they are typically directed at two broad goals: • to maintain overall biodiversity and ecosystem health and function (as mandated by international law); and • to reduce, mitigate and, where possible, prevent the impacts of mining and pollution that can affect wider habitats and ecosystems. A further consideration is the integration of environmental man- agement strategies with other efforts and agreements related to the conservation and sustainable use of the marine environ- ment. This includes national and regional initiatives (such as national marine park declarations and in the case of the Pacif- ic, the Noumea Convention for the protection of the natural re- sources and environment of the South Pacific) as well as global frameworks, such as the Convention on Biological Diversity’s process to identify ecologically or biologically significant areas and the UN General Assembly Resolutions to protect vulnerable marine ecosystems.

Photo courtesy of GEOMAR.

THE GEOLOGY OF SEA-FLOOR MASSIVE SULPHIDES 29

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