Portuguese authorities have announced a memorandum for the extraction of mineral resources from the ocean floor, which will be in force until 2050, the Lisbon daily Publico reported. The regulations banning its exploitation were approved for ecological reasons.
According to the newspaper, Portugal has become the first country in the world to ban the extraction of minerals from the seabed and ocean floor.
According to the regulations, which came into force on Tuesday with their publication in the Official Journal, the ban on seabed mining applies to areas “at great depths”, i.e. located less than 200 metres below the water surface.
In the justification of the memorandum, the Portuguese authorities pointed to the high risk to ecosystems and fisheries posed by the use of heavy mining equipment on the Atlantic floor. An additional argument was the “lack of proper research” on the impact of mass extraction of heavy metals from the ocean floor on ecosystems.
According to environmental organizations, valuable mineral deposits found in Portuguese waters include nickel and cobalt.
The legislative process for the memorandum was launched after the parliament of the Portuguese archipelago of the Azores passed a resolution in 2023 recommending that the regional government declare a ban on the extraction of minerals from the ocean floor off the coast of those islands.
From Lisbon Marcin Zatyka (PAP)
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