Sociai Viability of an Expanded Seafloor Exploration and Mining Industry in Austraiia

摘要

The ocean floor, often called the last frontier, is increasingly discussed in terms of its resource potential - from near shore building aggregate and placer deposits to massive sulfide orebodies in the deeper ocean. Consequently there is an increasing incentive to mine the seafloor. But, do we have the social license to explore and mine the seafloor? Does this nascent industry have support amongst the wider community? If not, why not? And what should be done ? To answer some of these questions, the Wealth from Oceans National Research Flagship has explored the social viability of an expanded seafloor exploration and mining (SEM) industry in Australia. The results show that there are significant geological and environmental data gaps and that, in the absence of sufficient information, stakeholder reaction to the prospect of an SEM industry expansion may be reactionary and negative. This uncertainty means that the perception of risk from the industry is variable and often dependent on individual values. The acceptability of an expansion to the SEM industry is currently precarious, in particular due to the high levels of uncertainty regarding the environmental impacts of seafloor activity.