Deep Seabed Mining Provisions News

On April 23, 2012, Dr. Stephen M. Coan delivered remarks entitled “The Future of Our Ocean”, part of the Open VISIONS Forum Lecture Series and presented at the Regina A. Quick Center for the Arts, Fairfield University, Fairfield, Conn. Following is the text of his speech. Water sustains life on Earth, and the health of our oceans, lakes, rivers, streams and marshlands, which cover 70% of the planet’s surface, is critically important to global economic and human health. Imagine this vast environment and what it could mean for us if we were able to better harvest food…

The U.S. Senate Committee on Foreign Relations conducted a hearing on possible ratification by the United States of the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). Following revisions to the deep seabed mining provisions of UNCLOS, the convention was signed by the United States in 1994, but no action was taken by the Senate toward ratification until now. Senator Richard Lugar (R-IN), Committee Chair, made an opening statement generally supportive of ratification. Admiral James Watkins, USN (ret.) expressed his strong support of ratification. Source: HK Law