Highlights and images for 10 March 2026

Environmental safeguards were center stage on Tuesday at the International Seabed Authority (ISA) Council. Members spent the day discussing outstanding issues relating to ensuring effective protection of the marine environment from harmful effects that may arise from activities in the Area (the seabed and ocean floor and the subsoil thereof, beyond the limits of national jurisdiction).

Discussions took place in informal working groups focusing on the legal nature of Regional Environmental Management Plans (REMPs) and on provisions relating to environmental management and monitoring. Many Council members supported treating REMPs as both policy frameworks and legally binding instruments.

Several members highlighted the relationship between REMPs and exploitation contracts, emphasizing that REMPs should be finalized before exploitation activities are approved. They also supported language clarifying that applications for a plan of work should only be considered where a REMP exists for the relevant region.

Delegates broadly agreed that approving a plan of work inconsistent with a REMP would undermine the integrity of the regulatory framework.

The informal working group on environmental management and monitoring focused on streamlining draft text to provide contractors with clear guidance on meeting their environmental obligations set out in Environmental Management and Monitoring Plans (EMMPs).

Council members considered issues such as how often environmental data from deep-sea mining activities should be submitted. One delegation proposed deleting bracketed references to “monthly/annually” reporting, arguing that the appropriate frequency of environmental data submissions would depend on the type of data involved, and thus should instead be addressed through standards and guidelines.

Some delegates supported proposals requiring contractors to use an independent auditor to conduct performance assessments of their EMMPs. Regarding the procedures for modifying EMMPs, one member suggested clarifying that such modifications should occur in accordance with regulation 57 (modification of a plan of work by a contractor) rather than through a separate bespoke process.

The Council also convened in a Friends of the President setting to discuss other environmental provisions, including environmental goals and objectives, the protection of submarine cables, and the proposed environmental compensation fund.

Discussions on Wednesday will focus on outstanding issues relating to financial matters.