Exploration plan for Co-rich Ferromanganese Crust in Korean Contract Area-Environmental Research and Management Plan

Abstract

In the last few decades, there has been of growing interest in the commercial mining of seabed mineral resources such as polymetallic nodules (PN), cobalt-rich ferromanganese crusts (CFC), and seafloor massive sulfides (SMS) due to the depletion of land-based resources and rapidly increasing industrial demands for metals. To meet the scientific and economic demand, the Republic of Korea has been conducting geological, geophysical, and environmental surveys in the western Pacific since 1997. Recently, the Korean government has signed the contract for the exploration of CFC in the western Pacific with the International Seabed Authority (ISA) on March 27, 2018. In the first part of the presentation, I introduce a brief history of the previous surveys conducted by the Korea Institute of Ocean Science and Technology (KIOST) for CFC, and objectives and scientific approaches of the exploration programme during the contract period. The regional environmental management plan (REMP) is desirable in the western Pacific to protect marine environment and ecosystems as the four exploration contracts have been issued for CFC in the relatively small geographical region. In the second part of the presentation, I talk about the role of the contractor in relation to the REMP that is essential to minimize the mining impact and protect marine environment and ecosystems. I provide some suggestions to establish a scientifically sound enviretion of land-based resources and rapidly increasing industrial demands for metals. To meet the scientific and economic demand, the Republic of Korea has been conducting geological, geophysical, and environmental surveys in the western Pacific since 1997. Recently, the Korean government has signed the contract for the exploration of CFC in the western Pacific with the International Seabed Authority (ISA) on March 27, 2018. In the first part of the presentation, I introduce a brief history of the previous surveys conducted by the Korea Institute of Ocean Science and Technology (KIOST) for CFC, and objectives and scientific approaches of the exploration programme during the contract period. The regional environmental management plan (REMP) is desirable in the western Pacific to protect marine environment and ecosystems as the four exploration contracts have been issued for CFC in the relatively small geographical region. In the second part of the presentation, I talk about the role of the contractor in relation to the REMP that is essential to minimize the mining impact and protect marine environment and ecosystems. I provide some suggestions to establish a scientifically sound envir