COBALT-RICH FERROMANGANESE CRUSTS
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results from the work of the Rio Conference, or Earth Summit,
in 1992. Principle 15 of the Rio Declaration states: “In order to
protect the environment, the precautionary approach shall be
widely applied by States according to their capabilities. Where
there are threats of serious or irreversible damage, lack of full
scientific certainty shall not be used as a reason for postpon-
ing cost-effective measures to prevent environmental degrada-
tion.” (UNCED 1992; see also DSM Project Information Brochure
13 available at
, for discussion on the Precau-
tionary Approach as it relates to DSM).
A management method that is frequently applied in support
of the precautionary approach is that of adaptive manage-
ment, which attempts to reduce uncertainties over time in a
structured process of “learning by doing” (Walters and Hil-
born 1978). Management actions continue to be informed and
adapted as more is learned about the ecosystem, at the same
time as it is being exploited and managed. An integral part of
the process involves managers having the flexibility to make
rapid management decisions to ensure that conservation ob-
jectives are being met.
Marine Spatial Planning (MSP) is a management tool used in-
creasingly by countries to manage multiple uses of their territo-
rial seas. MSP maps what activities can be undertaken where,
manages conflicts among competing marine activities, and re-
duces environmental impact by analyzing current and anticipat-
ed uses of the ocean. It is a practical way to balance demands
for development with conservation goals and to achieve social
and economic objectives in an open and planned way. The prin-
cipal output of MSP is a comprehensive spatial management
plan for a marine area or ecosystem.
There are many papers and reports that provide general guid-
ance and advice to help commercial operators, scientists, and
managers plan sound environmental management of mining
and maritime activities. Several are particularly important for
minerals exploitation in the deep sea, including:
• International Seabed Authority: Polymetallic sulphides and
cobalt-rich ferromanganese crusts deposits: establishment
of environmental baselines and an associated monitoring
programme during exploration (ISA 2007)
• Pacific ACP States Regional Legislative and Regulatory
Framework for Deep Sea Minerals Exploration and Exploita-
tion (SPC, 2012).
• Madang Guidelines of the South Pacific Applied Geoscience
Commission (SOPAC 1999).
• International Marine Minerals Society: 2011 Code for environ-
mental management of marine mining
.
org/IMMS_downloads/2011_SEPT_16_IMMS_Code.pdf)
