Minerals Report - International Seabed Authority

deposits will be mined at some point. As living and non-living marine
resources represent, for many PICs, the only natural resources of any tangible
economic significance or development potential, it is imperative that they not
lose sight of the potential benefits to be gained from future marine mining
developments. Consequently, there is no time for the SOPAC region to rest
upon its laurels if it is to be effective in encouraging further research and to
attracting industry to explore and develop the region’s marine mineral
resources.
To ensure that SOPAC does not lose the momentum that it has gained
through it’s continuing efforts since the early 1970’s to promote, encourage,
co-ordinate and co-operate in marine scientific research, within the region and
to communicate the resulting information from these research in order to
stimulate dialogue between PIC Governments, international researchers and
key industry players, it must ensure that it continues to:
• Promote, co-ordinate and co-operate in marine scientific research
activities within areas that are already the subject of international
research to better understand, determine and define these resource
sites and to encourage the collection of baseline environmental
data and information [in the event of potential mineral
development].
• Encourage and co-ordinate marine scientific research activities into
new areas, which will result in additional baseline data and
information being collected [in the region] and may result in
further marine mineral discoveries being made.
• Provide advice and assistance to PICs to ensure that they adopt a
considered approach to the sustainable development and
exploitation of their deepsea minerals resources.
With the development of rational marine mineral policy and
appropriate marine mining legislation, PICs will be in an enviable position to
be able to enter into effective dialogue with industry. The development of
sound baseline environmental assessment protocols are also being addressed
INTERNATIONAL SEABED AUTHORITY 904