Brazil wants 10-year pause on deep sea mining as UN agency under pressure to draft regulations

By DÁNICA COTO
Associated Press

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) — Brazil is urging a 10-year precautionary pause on deep sea mining in international waters just days after companies and countries were allowed to start applying for provisional licenses. Brazil made its call Friday during a two-week conference held by the International Seabed Authority. It is a regulatory U.N. agency based in Jamaica that failed to approve a set of rules and regulations to govern deep sea mining by the July 9 deadline. The agency has not issued any provisional licenses nor has it received any applications. However, the government of Nauru is expected to soon apply for a license via The Metals Company, a Canadian company.