17/03/2025
Portugal Makes History with the Approval of the Deep-Sea Mining Moratorium Law 🌊 ❌ ⛏️
Today, the Portuguese Parliament took a groundbreaking step by approving the Deep-Sea Mining Moratorium Law until 2050 – making Portugal the first country in the world to establish this measure in national legislation. 🌍
Scientific knowledge about deep-sea biodiversity is still limited, and existing studies indicate that mining could cause irreversible damage.
💬 “Now, imagine disturbing the ocean floor, releasing carbon and sediments, killing the essential life that exists on the ocean floor, and creating a sediment plume that will poison the entire water column – where fish stocks, vital to our food security, live,” said Tiago Pitta e Cunha, CEO of the Oceano Azul Foundation.
📰 Read the full article ➡️ https://lnkd.in/dcgG6whn
🤝🏻 Portugal is responding to this challenge with a pioneering decision aligned with international commitments to ocean conservation.
The approved text establishes:
✅ Moratorium until 2050.
✅ Precautionary Principle integrated into the national maritime space management.
✅ Protection and restoration of marine ecosystems as a fundamental objective.
✅ Promotion of an international moratorium, strengthening Portugal’s role in ocean protection.
✅ Continuation of scientific research, which will still be permitted.
🚨 What was left out?
❌ Automatic renewal of the moratorium after 2050, meaning its continuation in the future is not yet guaranteed.
This achievement is a milestone in the defense of the ocean, biodiversity, and the future of our planet! 🐟🐳
🌊 👏 The Oceano Azul Foundation welcomes the approval of this historic legislation and emphasizes the importance of its effective implementation.
