Minerals Report - International Seabed Authority

would result in the extermination of all the benthic communities in the
mined area. Another participant wanted to know whether De Beers
Marine had determined the likelihood of species extinctions and identified
the species that might be affected. Dr. Corbett was also asked if De Beers
Marine had undertaken an environmental impact survey prior to mining
the area.
Dr. Corbett said that generally speaking De Beers Marine mines
between 2 – 3 square kilometres per annum, and that since the start of
operations about 10 sq kilometres of continental shelf had been mined. He
pointed out that mining the seabed does not result in the creation of a
desert, but that life returns to mined- out areas and re-colonizes them at a
very early point. Dr. Corbett said that the recovery of the seabed
communities is in the order of between 4 – 8 years, but like all things it is
not the same everywhere, depending on the type of substrata and the
communities involved. Dr. Corbett emphasized that the deployment of the
new AUV should result in a major benefit because De Beers would be able
to conduct better monitoring operations and to examine recovery rates in
these areas in more detail. In relation to possible species extinctions and
identification of the species that might be affected, Dr. Corbett described
them as fundamental aspects of the work in environmental protection. He
said that at the moment, De Beers Marine is in the process of establishing
the database that would allow the organisation to investigate these of
issues.
As to whether De Beers Marine had conducted an environmental
impact survey before initiating mining operations, Dr. Corbett said that
the organisation started a survey once it proved that it could mine the
area. He described the process as evolving in so far as De Beers Marine
was not in a position to set up a lot of data ahead of that realization and
the decision to go ahead with mining.
A participant wanted to know whether De Beers Marine had links
with oceanographers and meteorologists who could assist in predicting
windows of operation, and points where tailings could be disposed of,
given the high-energy environment within which operations take place.
Another participant wanted to know how far down the water column
tailings disposal takes place. This question was in relation to the residence
time of tailings in the water column and its impact on marine life. Another
participant wanted to know whether or not De Beers had examined the
impact of plumes on marine life in the water column in view of the
INTERNATIONAL SEABED AUTHORITY 662