Seabed seminar concluded

Deputy Minister of Mineral Resources Mr Godfrey Oliphant opened the seminar with, Mr Michael Lodge, Deputy Secretary General and Legal Counsel, International Seabed Authority. (Photograph by Jacoline Schoonees)

As deep sea mining raises questions about potential environmental impact on surrounding areas, a three-day seminar was held in Pretoria for SADC states on the work of the International Seabed Authority.

The opening of the seminar on Tuesday, was addressed by South Africa’s Permanent Representative to the International Seabed Authority and High Commissioner to Jamaica, Ms Mathu Joyini; the Director General of the Department of Mineral Resources, Dr Thibedi Ramontja; and the Secretary-General of the International Seabed Authority, H.E Nii Allotey Odunton.
The event was hosted by the Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO), in partnership with the Department of Mineral Resources, the International Seabed Authority and the South African Council for Geoscience.
The seminar provided information on the current and future work of the Authority, opportunities for deep seabed mining for developing countries, the protection of the marine environment related to deep seabed mining and related scientific research and regulatory policy issues.
International and local experts addressed a range of current topics and participants from the relevant sectors, such as the mining industry, marine environment and government attended the seminar that concluded on Thursday.