This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies. Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: Namibia has granted environmental clearance for an offshore phosphate mining project that paves the way for the world's first commercial seabed-dredging operation for the mineral, despite opposition from green groups and the fishing industry. Deep-sea mining seeks to tap previously untouched seabed deposits of a range of commodities, including cobalt and nickel, but the fledgling industry has long been stalled by environmental concerns.
The government certificate issued this month is the next step in plans by Namibian Marine Phosphate (NMP) to dredge the ocean floor around 120 kilometers (75 miles) off the town of Walvis Bay for the key ingredient of fertilizers vital to agriculture. NMP said the clearance does not mean it will immediately begin commercial mining operations, as it still needs to complete permitting, including for the necessary land-based infrastructure. But the certificate has raised alarm among conservationists, with the Confederation of Namibian Fishing Associations reportedly threatening to challenge its validity.
Should it go ahead, the Sandpiper Project would be a world first, with other offshore phosphate mining projects having been held back by environmental concerns. NMP has said it envisaged controlled dredging across approximately 1.7 square kilometers (0.65 square miles) annually to produce 3 million tonnes of phosphate concentrate per year. Over the 20-year license period, this would represent the equivalent of 0.002% of Namibia's seabed, it said after the clearance was announced.
However, "no immediate or urgent commercial operations are planned by NMP," said the group, which is 85% owned by an Oman-based mining company. The government's announcement that it had issued the environmental certificate ended a decade-long silence about the project. The group was given a license in 2011 but came to a standstill in 2013 over concerns about the impact on marine ecosystems and Namibia's multimillion-dollar commercial fishing industry.
Sediment plumes generated by seabed excavation and processing pose significant risks to ecosystems and public health, said marine scientist Bronwen Currie. Underwater dredging risks releasing heavy metals and toxic substances trapped deep in the seabed, which could enter the marine food chain and jeopardize commercial fish stocks, she told AFP. "It is really not a good idea, considering this would liberate very toxic elements from the seabed, as a lot of heavy metals are buried deep in the sediment," Currie said.
And, because phosphate is a low-value commodity, vast quantities must be dredged to make operations viable, she said. "All of these dangers have not yet been addressed in any of the environmental impact studies," she said. While Namibia is not unique in having phosphate deposits, other nations have decided against ocean mining, she said.
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