Challenges and opportunities for Ecosystem-based Management in seabed conservation: case study on deep-sea mining in the Area

Author(s)

Maila Paisano Guilhon e Sá

• Document type: Doctoral Thesis
• Press: São Paulo.
• Institution: Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Instituto Oceanográfico (IO/DIDC)
• Defense date: 2022-11-21

Examining board members

Alexander Turra; Evandro Mateus Moretto; Daniela Diz Pereira Pinto

• Advisor: Alexander Turra

Abstract

Ecosystem-based management (EBM) is an approach that aims to manage human activities from a holistic and integrative perspective. EBM is listed among the good practices for ocean governance, which is reflected in its provision as one of the guiding principles in the mining code currently developed by the International Seabed Authority (ISA), an organization established under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) in 1982. The ISA is responsible for regulating mining activities in the \"Area\", the seabed beyond national jurisdictions, whose mineral resources are considered the common heritage of humankind. Given the large gaps in knowledge regarding the processes and benefits arising from deep-sea ecosystem services, in conjunction with the high potential impact attributed to commercial-scale deep-sea mining (DSM) activities, the adoption of EBM in this context is of paramount importance. Thus, this study aimed to assess challenges and opportunities for EBM in the DSM regime in the Area. This work, divided into four chapters, was based on EBM principles widely recognised in the literature. The first chapter included a systematic assessment of the potential for recognition of EBM principles in a key set of regulations and recommendations that comprise the ISA Mining Code. Next, ISA stakeholders\' perceptions of EBM were assessed in relation to its importance for the management of DSM; the consideration of whether EBM is recognized as contained in ISA processes; whether different EBM perceptions may impact decision making and assessed stakeholders recommendations for improvement. Finally, a case study on the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) process was proposed, divided into two chapters, which addressed the current impact assessment practices for prospecting, exploration and exploitation stages of mineral resources in the Area and the potential for EBM principles to contribute to the EIA process. The study identified several challenges for EBM at the ISA regime that included: the lack of a definition and clarity on the objectives and implications of EBM for the ISA regime; the absence of the logic of ecosystem services; limitations in the recognition of social aspects as intrinsic to EBM; insufficient stakeholder engagement; inconsistency of requirements between exploration and exploitation phases; weak or non-existent mechanisms of compliance and insufficient binding mechanisms. On the other hand, opportunities identified included: the promotion of spaces and thematic groups to discuss the topic; the development of materials and training actions that broaden the understanding of the topic; the establishment of well-defined documents review and approval processes; and the development of mechanisms to improve stakeholder participation and engagement. Although the adoption and implementation of governance and management practices compatible with EBM present a major challenge, the ISA has the opportunity and technical support necessary to stand out as a pioneer in the management and conservation of the common heritage of humankind, which belongs to present and future generations. (AU)

• FAPESP's process: 16/24677-8 - Opportunities and challenges for the incorporation of the ecosystem based approach in seabed conservation: a case study on mineral exploration in the Rio Grande Rise
• Grantee: Maila Paisano Guilhon e Sá
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Doctorate