Seabed regulator accused of deciding deep sea’s future ‘behind closed doors’

An Ocean Rebellion protest in Rotterdam against the exploitation of the seabed, with the deep-sea mining vessel Hidden Gem in the background. Photograph: Sipa US/Alamy

The UN-affiliated organisation that oversees deep-sea mining, a controversial new industry, has been accused of failings of transparency after an independent body responsible for reporting on negotiations was kicked out.

The International Seabed Authority (ISA) is meeting this week at its council headquarters in Kingston, Jamaica, to develop regulations for the fledgling industry. But it emerged this week that Earth Negotiations Bulletin (ENB), a division of the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD), which has covered previous ISA negotiations, had not had its contract renewed.