Communities with long traditions and deep economic ties to fishing are understandably concerned about potential impacts on fish. Fortunately, deep sea mining takes place miles away from fish, and has been shown to avoid impacts that could disturb fish—especially with Impossible Metals’ approach.
Fisheries stocks are not present on the deep ocean abyssal plains where we find polymetallic nodules. Local sediment disturbance has been shown not to rise more than a few meters, many kilometers (or miles) away from phytoplankton (food for fish), which need light for photosynthesis. Impossible Metals has no riser system with a midwater discharge plume, so this will not impact phytoplankton photosynthesis.
Potential fisheries impacts will be confirmed by scientists as part of the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) before permission is granted to start mining.
See more details in the ISA Fact-check 2024/2 – Status of fishing activities in the Area.
