MANGANESE NODULES
32
of the precautionary approach, and globally accepted defi- ni-
tions, results from the work of the Rio Conference, or Earth Sum-
mit, 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, lackof 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 Pre-
cautionary Approach as it relates to DSM).
A management method that is frequently applied in support
of the precautionary approach is adaptive management,
which attempts to reduce uncertainties over time in a struc-
tured process of “learning by doing” (Walters & Hilborn 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 pro-
cess involves allowing managers the flexibility to make rapid
management decisions in order to ensure that conservation
objectives are being met.
MarineSpatial Planning (MSP) is a tool being embraced by a number
of countries to manage multiple uses of their territorial seas. MSP
maps which activities can be undertaken where, manages conflicts
between competing marine activities, and reduces environmental
impact by analyzing current and anticipated uses of the ocean. It is
a practical way to balance demands for development with conserva-
tion goals and to achieve social and economic objectives in an open
and planned way. The principal output of MSP is a comprehensive
spatial management plan for a marine area or ecosystem.
There are many papers and reports that provide general guidance
and advice to help commercial operators, scientists, and manag-
ers plan sound environmental management of mining and mar-
itime activities. Several are particularly important for the deep
sea, including:
• International Seabed Authority: Deep-seabed polymetallic
nodule exploration: development of environmental guide-
lines (ISA 1999)
• Madang Guidelines of the South Pacific Applied Geoscience
Commission (SOPAC 1999).
• International Marine Minerals Society: Code for environmental
management of marine mining, Revised edition (IMMS 2011)
