The International Seabed Authority was established in 1994 through the United Nations, based on the 1982 Convention on the Law of the Sea. "Nations should act now to make sure our ocean is protected as this new industry develops," says Conn Nugent, who is the director of the deep-sea mining project with the Pew Charitable Trusts. Under international jurisdiction, the high seas represent roughly two-thirds of the world’s oceans. The purpose is to agree on safeguards and operating procedures for deep-sea mining, especially in the high seas. In response, representatives of many nations, the mining industry, and environmental groups are meeting this week in Kingston, Jamaica, at an annual session of the International Seabed Authority. If it proves successful, it could kick off a boom of deep-sea mining around the world. A project off Papua New Guinea could begin as early as 2018, serving as a test case for an industry that could be highly lucrative. People have dreamed of harvesting riches from the seafloor for decades. Now, as the first deep-sea mining project ramps up, nations are trying to hammer out guidelines to ensure this new "gold rush" doesn't wreck the oceans. The bottom of the world's ocean contains vast supplies of precious metals and other resources, including gold, diamonds, and cobalt.
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