EOAS Ph.D. Candidate Cara B. G. James, whose research focuses on the environmental impacts of deep-sea mining, published an article in The Conversation yesterday examining the growing push to mine the deep ocean for critical minerals and the international rules meant to govern it.

The article explains how a recent United States executive order could mean the U.S. will start issuing permits to mine in international waters outside the United Nations framework. It also outlines the criticism this move has drawn from other countries for breaking the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea. Using the case of a Vancouver-based company’s U.S. subsidiary applying for a permit to mine the seabed, Cara considers the potential legal and political implications for Canada, including the significance of the Canadian federal government’s position on deep-sea mining.

Read the full article here: Mining companies may soon bypass UN rules and mine the deep sea