Back السلطة الدولية لقاع البحار Arabic Autoritat internacional dels fons marins Catalan Internationale Meeresbodenbehörde German Internacia Marfunda Aŭtoritato Esperanto Autoridad Internacional de los Fondos Marinos Spanish سازمان بستر آب‌های بین‌المللی Persian Autorité internationale des fonds marins French Međunarodna vlast za morsko dno Croatian Otoritas Dasar Laut Internasional ID International Seabed Authority IG

International Seabed Authority

International Seabed Authority
AbbreviationISA
Formation16 November 1994 (1994-11-16)
TypeIntergovernmental organization
PurposeRegulate deep seabed mining and ensure the marine environment is protected from any harmful effects which may arise from mining activities
HeadquartersKingston, Jamaica
Coordinates17°57′53″N 76°47′30″W / 17.964767531°N 76.791708055°W / 17.964767531; -76.791708055
Membership (2018)
168 states parties[1]
Secretary-General
Michael W. Lodge
Main organ
Assembly of the International Seabed Authority
AffiliationsObserver to the United Nations General Assembly
Budget (2017 & 2018)
$17.1 Million[2]
Websitewww.isa.org.jm

The International Seabed Authority (ISA) (French: Autorité internationale des fonds marins) is a Kingston, Jamaica-based intergovernmental body of 167 member states and the European Union established under the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) and its 1994 Agreement on Implementation. The ISA's dual mission is to authorize and control development of mineral related operations in the international seabed[3][4] considered the "common heritage of all mankind"[5][6] and also protect the ecosystem of the seabed, ocean floor and subsoil in "The Area" beyond national jurisdiction. The ISA is to safeguard the international deep sea, the waters below 200 meters or 656 feet, where photosynthesis is hampered by inadequate light.[7] Governing approximately half of the total area of the world's oceans, the ISA is to exercise oversight of activities that might threaten biological diversity and harm the marine environment.[8] The Authority operates as an autonomous international organization with its own Assembly, Council and Secretariat.

Since the ISA's inception in 1994, the Authority has approved over two dozen ocean floor mining exploration contracts in the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans,[9][10] with the majority of contracts for exploration in the Clarion-Clipperton Zone between Hawaii and Mexico, where polymetallic nodules contain copper, cobalt and other minerals used to power electric batteries. To date, the Authority has not authorized any commercial mining contracts as it deliberates over regulations amid global calls for a moratorium on deep sea mining. Scientists and environmentalists warn such mining could wreak havoc on the ocean as a carbon sink home to rare and diverse species.[11][12] The ISA is funded by UNCLOS members and mining contractors and led by Secretary-General Michael Lodge,[13] a British barrister who oversees a 47-member administrative body and has come under criticism for close ties to the mining industry and support for deep sea robotic exploration to develop renewable energy.[11]

  1. ^ "Member States". International Seabed Authority. Retrieved 1 November 2018.
  2. ^ "Seabed Council Hears Report of Finance Committee; Approves by Decision US$17 Million Budget for Authority for 2017–2018; Recommends Working Capital Fund Increase to $660,000" (PDF). International Seabed Authority. 14 July 2016. Retrieved 1 November 2018.[permanent dead link]
  3. ^ "Documents and Publications". International Seabed Authority. Archived from the original on 13 May 2008.
  4. ^ Jon Copley (7 November 2020). "Deep-sea mining is making the seabed the hottest real estate on Earth". New Scientist.
  5. ^ "UNCLOS - Part XI, Section 2". www.un.org. Retrieved 22 April 2022.
  6. ^ Chronological lists of ratifications of, accessions and successions to the Convention and the related Agreements. UN: regularly updated.
  7. ^ "What is the "deep" ocean? : Ocean Exploration Facts: NOAA Office of Ocean Exploration and Research". oceanexplorer.noaa.gov. Retrieved 20 August 2022.
  8. ^ "Home | International Seabed Authority". www.isa.org.jm. Retrieved 19 April 2022.
  9. ^ "Secret deep sea mining data to reveal what lives in the abyss". Environment. 24 July 2019. Archived from the original on 1 March 2021. Retrieved 22 April 2022.
  10. ^ "The International Seabed Authority and Deep Seabed Mining". United Nations. Retrieved 20 April 2022.
  11. ^ a b "A race to the bottom: In the rush to mine the ocean floor for minerals used in EV batteries, who is looking out for the environment?". Los Angeles Times. 19 April 2022. Retrieved 21 April 2022.
  12. ^ "Seabed Mining May Solve Our Energy Crisis. But At What Cost?". Time. Retrieved 21 April 2022.
  13. ^ "ISA Member States and contractors make contributions to the voluntary trust funds of ISA | International Seabed Authority". isa.org.jm. Retrieved 19 April 2022.

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