The Difference Between Continental Shelf Mining vs. Deep-sea Mining

Marine Phosphate Mining will occur on the shallow Continental Shelf at depths of 200m - 250m similar to the current Marine Diamond Mining operations that have been successfully regulated and studied by Namibia for over 20 years.

On the other hand, Deep Sea Mining typically refers to projects targeting Deep Seabed Minerals (specifically, polymetallic nodules, cobalt crusts, and massive sulphides) in International Waters at depths of 800 - 6,000m. This is vastly different to the proposed phosphate seabed dredge mining of loose phosphatic sediments in the comparatively shallow waters (less than 250m) on the continental shelf within Namibia’s national waters and laws.

Unlike seabed mining projects in Namibia (diamonds and phosphate), Fishing companies conducting bottom trawling at depths of 200m to 600m are not required to submit environmental impact studies in line with the Environmental Management Act 2007.

For many decades, the continental shelf waters and seabed off of the Namibian coast and marine ecosystem have been subjected to bottom trawling impacts (seabed disturbance and plume generation) at water depths of 200m to 600m. The marine ecosystem impacts are largely related to the disturbance of ocean floor sediments and marine biota, and are considered to be significant and the bottom trawling footprint substantially larger in comparison to the scale and effects from the proposed marine phosphate mining operations or the current marine diamond mining operations.