Minister of the Environment and Natural Resources (MENR) the Hon. Vaughn P. Miller called on the International Seabed Authority to develop robust environmental regulations, stringent monitoring mechanisms and a comprehensive framework for impact assessments to minimise the potential adverse effects of deep-sea mining.  Speaking at the 30th anniversary of the International Seabed Authority (ISA) and its 29th Session in Kingston, Jamaica, Minister Miller said the platform is set for “critical discussions that will shape the future of our shared ocean resources”. The ISA is the United Nations governing body for activities in the areas of ocean beyond national jurisdiction.

Minister Miller called for the countries attending the ISA 29th Session to “carefully consider legitimate concerns” about deep seabed mining, while recognizing its potential benefits. 

“The regulatory framework we establish must include the necessary environmental safeguards, based on the science to mitigate adverse impacts on marine biodiversity and ecosystem services,” Minister Miller said.

Dr. Rihanna Murphy-Neely, Director of the Department of Environmental Protection and Planning, MENR, is also attending the 29th ISA Session, noting that “coastal nations have a responsibility for the areas under their national jurisdiction, however, the seabed is the patrimony of all humanity”.

“We must be careful and intentional about what we as global citizens allow to happen in these spaces; much of the ocean is still unexplored and not well understood,” Neely-Murphy added. 

“Deep-sea research is exposing new realities and changing the way we view basic life processes. With this understanding, we must proceed with caution in the manners that we go about disrupting the balance that exists in the depths of the ocean. We have very little understanding of how what goes on thousands of feet below the surface impacts our lives on land and the marine life that we depend on.”

The Bahamas Government has enacted stringent environmental regulations and sustainable practices supported by sound scientific research, Minister Miller said during his address to the ISA. 

“In The Bahamas are acutely aware of the peculiar challenges involved in balancing research, academic advancement and sustainable development, as a developing and small island state,” he said, noting that the country is one of few in the Region to have drafted and enacted national legislation on Marine Scientific Research.

“Given The Bahamas’ heavy reliance on marine resources, my country strongly supports stringent environmental regulations and sustainable practices supported by sound scientific research. We cannot emphasize enough the priority that our country places on protecting and preserving the marine environment and its delicate ecosystems.”

The Biological Resources and Traditional Knowledge Act (2021), for example,  gives the Department of Environmental Planning and Protection (DEPP) the authority to regulate access to biological resources and associated traditional knowledge, prohibit unlawful genetic bio-prospecting and gathering, and ensure fair and equitable sharing of the benefits arising out of the use of biological resources and traditional knowledge for Bahamians.

“My delegation encourages the Secretariat to continue its efforts in finding innovative ways to assist and incentivise young scientists from countries such as mine,” Minister Miller advised, calling on the Assembly to develop a general policy on environmental protection for the Area.

This week, researchers found that electric currents from the same minerals that seep-sea miners are targeting may be responsible for oxygen production thousands of feet under the ocean. This area of research is critically under-funded. Minister Miller alluded to the support, regulatory and financial, of scientists from these areas as essential.  

Through his Ministry, the DEPP works closely with various agencies to achieve the country’s goals of a comprehensive system of environmental management. They include the Bahamas Protected Areas Fund, the Bahamas National Trust, the Department of Marine Resources, and the Nature Conservancy.

Bahamian Marine Biologist Nicholas Higgs, who was a part of the Bahamian delegation attending the ISA Sessions, said opportunities like these are particularly important for island nations to build capacity in the area of oceans and maritime. He noted that by being at the table, The Bahamas could benefit from ISA funding awards schemes to build capacity and allow facilitation for Bahamian professionals in this area.

“Everything that sits in these waters is the heritage of all humanity,” he said.

“We should be active in these discussions and make sure that when the benefits arise, that The Bahamas is getting a fair share – whether it be from mining or from all the other things that might come from scientific discoveries or from biotechnology. Who knows? The next cure for cancer or the next antibiotic might be discovered in some organism living in this deep ocean territory, so we need to think carefully about how we proceed.”

Captain Godfrey Rolle, Chairman of the Bahamas Maritime Delimitation Committee, Ministry of Foreign Affairs added: “It’s absolutely critical that we are a part of this body which comes out of the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea that deals with management of the oceans within our national jurisdiction and outside of it.”

Fayne Thompson, consultant for the Ministry, said The Bahamas has an essential duty to attend the conference and develop relationships that will have long term benefits for the country.

The Bahamas participated in the voting between two candidates for Secretary General of the ISA, who offer different views on the future of deep sea mining. The last election was held in 2016, which saw Michael Lodge of the United Kingdom return to office. As the incumbent, he served two terms and was supported by Kiribati for re-election to a third term. The other candidate for the position of Secretary General, Leticia Carvalho, supported by Brazil, is a native of Brazil, who has worked within the United Nations system and is champion of SIDS rights. After a tally of the secret ballots, Ms. Carvalho emerged as the new Secretary General of the ISA. She is the first woman and the first scientist to hold the position. The sessions took place at the ISA Building in the Kenneth Rattray Conference Room, Kingston, Jamaica.

More Photo Highlights Below:

(L-R) Letícia Carvalho, New Secretary General of the International Seabed Authority (ISA) and Hon. Vaughn P. Miller, Minister of the Environment and Natural Resources

(L-R) Hon. Vaughn P. Miller, Minister of the Environment & Natural Resources; Nicholas Higgs, Bahamian Marine Biologist; Captain Godfrey Rolle, Chairman, Bahamas Maritime Delimitation Committee, Ministry of Foreign Affairs; David Davis, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of the Environment & Natural Resources and Rhianna Neely-Murphy, PhD, Director, Department of Environmental Planning and Protection (DEPP)

Minister of the Environment & Natural Resources, Hon. Vaughn P. Miller, makes his remarks at the at the 30th anniversary of the International Seabed Authority (ISA) and its 29th Session in Kingston, Jamaica,

VPM-ISA and Former GG: (L-R) Hon. Vaughn P. Miller, Minister of the Environment & Natural Resources; David Davis, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of the Environment & Natural Resources and Helmut Turk, Former Austria Ambassador to The Bahamas (1993-1999)

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