What do you see in this photo? Can you discern the deliberate pattern formed by the grey-blue dots? Can you feel the stillness in this place?
This is a recent image from the deep sea of the Blake Plateau off the coast of South Carolina, USA. It’s the chilling aftermath of the world’s first-ever deep sea mining site.
What makes this really shocking is it was mined back in 1970, and yet it looks as though it happened yesterday.
Fifty years have passed since the seabed was disrupted by a deep sea mining test, and yet, there is no sign of recovery. No life. Instead, all that remains are tracks left behind by mining machines and scattered rocks and mineral nodules. What was once a vibrant marine ecosystem now resembles a barren wasteland, a testament to the destructive greed of industry.
Now, fifty years on, there are new companies seeking to repeat this harm right here in the Pacific.
Companies such as the Canadian miner The Metals Company are gearing up to plunder the depths of the Pacific Ocean for profit, leaving similar destruction in their wake. They’re shamelessly greenwashing their plans with fancy PR and threatening to apply for a mining licence by the end of this year.
This recently surfaced footage is another example of mounting evidence against a foolishly dangerous industry. We can bring it to the world’s attention, and we can stop them.
Greenpeace and our allies have already confronted the wannabe miners at sea several times in their industry meetings and on the global stage. They have fought back, but we have successfully tilted the table against them. More and more countries are uniting in opposition to deep sea mining and the movement is growing in strength.
We must keep the pressure on, and with your help, we will. Your support is crucial in this fight.
Add your name to the call to stop deep sea mining while we still can.
It’s time for New Zealand to take a stand. Join our call on the New Zealand government to back a global moratorium on seabed mining.
Today, we have a rare chance to heed the lessons of history and refuse to sacrifice our planet for profit before it is too late. By amplifying our efforts against this dangerous new industry, we can ensure that the devastation witnessed in the Blake Plateau remains an isolated tragedy, not a blueprint for future exploitation.
