- The Global Ocean Commission grants licences for seabed exploration and mining in international waters.
- India has received licences for seabed mineral exploration in international waters.
- ‘Rare earth minerals’ are present on the seafloor in international waters.
Which of the statements given above are correct?
(a) 1 and 2 only
(b) 2 and 3 only
(c) 1 and 3 only
(d) 1, 2 and 3
Answer: (b)
Statement 1 is not correct: With the establishment of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea in 1982 and the entry into force of the International Seabed Authority (ISA) in 1994, exploration activities for mineral resources in the international waters are now regulated under exploration contracts, allocated by the International Seabed Authority (ISA). Statement 2 is correct: India has received licences for seabed mineral exploration in international waters in the Central Indian Ocean Basin (CIOB). These rights are over 75000 sq. km of area in international waters allocated by the International Seabed Authority (ISA) for developmental activities for polymetallic nodules. In 2017, India’s exclusive rights to explore polymetallic nodules from the seabed in the Central Indian Ocean Basin (CIOB) have been extended by five years.
Statement 3 is correct: The vast repository of minerals, including the precious cobalt, zinc, manganese and rare earth materials that are needed for smartphones, laptops and hybrid cars, is present in three forms of ore—polymetallic manganese nodules that remain strewn across the ocean floor; cobaltrich ferromanganese crusts that cover the seamounts; and massive polymetallic sulphide deposits around hydrothermal vents.