Marine phosphate mining: Who profits and who pays?

AS GLOBAL demand for phosphate rises, extractive industries, including in Namibia, are now seeking seabed mining licences to dredge the world’s oceans.

Many scientists and environmentalists strongly oppose such moves because of widespread and major environmental risks, as well as conflicts with existing ocean industries.

Marine phosphate mining (MPM), which involves dredging the seabed and filtering out the mineral, has not yet been carried out anywhere in the world because of its controversial nature.

Phosphate is a natural mineral found mostly in phosphate rock. Globally, it has become an essential ingredient in fertiliser for agriculture and gardening.

By enriching the soil and boosting crop growth, phosphate has contributed to food security.

On land, phosphate mining already causes serious and long-lasting environmental harm, including toxic sludge spills.

NAMIBIAN PLANS

In Namibia, the push for marine mining is being led by Namibian Marine Phosphate (NMP) Pty Ltd through the Sandpiper Project.

The company holds a 20-year mining licence (ML170) issued in 2011 and is reportedly close to meeting environmental clearance requirements.

Although operations were stopped in 2012 because of strong opposition, the assessment process restarted in 2021.

Proponents of the move claim the environmental impact will be small, arguing that the area to be mined is “tiny” compared to Namibia’s vast ocean territory.

According to NMP’s report, only 60 km² would be affected.

They also argue that seafloor life will quickly “recolonise” the dredged area. Scientists strongly disagree and cite unpredictable and catastrophic harm.

Among others, they warn that dredging, for example, creates noise pollution, dangerous sediment clouds, and oxygen loss that can harm marine life in ways not yet fully known, let alone understood.

Unlike (ocean) bottom trawling, dredging cuts one to three metres deep every few days, causing far greater disruption – especially near important marine breeding areas.

That is why the fishing industry strongly opposes MPM.

Proponents claim the area is not important for fishing or biodiversity and that the conflict is mainly about territory.

However, the seabed to be mined contains heavy metals, especially cadmium and uranium, which can build up in sea creatures and infiltrate the food web.

It eventually reaches humans through seafood consumption, posing serious health risks.

Those pushing for marine mining deny the possible impact on the fishing sector, and praise phosphate’s potential for job creation.

However, big industries often dangle the promise of jobs to try and win public support in high-unemployment areas.

Sadly, they rarely deliver and cannot be held accountable. Only a few executives tend to profit, and ordinary people are left holding the baby.

NMP has reportedly created a comprehensive process-driven environmental report, but marine phosphate mining has never been done anywhere in the world.

Namibia lacks the skills and infrastructure for such a complex project, and taking the lead as a global test case holds serious and unpredictable risks.

TESTING TIMES

In Namibia, the current licence ML170 does not cover the land-based processing phase, which is expected to cause the most harm – through air pollution, groundwater contamination and hazardous waste.

Nonetheless, Namibia could become the first country to allow MPM in an ocean area known worldwide for its rich marine life and importance for fishing, tourism, and more.

Supporters say it will bring “big” economic benefits and cause “little” harm despite it targeting non-renewable resources and threatening renewable ones in the process.

Even though vulnerable countries like Namibia are constantly targeted by promises of untold wealth, Namibia cannot risk being a test site for an experimental industry that holds many potentially irreversible environmental consequences.

• Damian Schreiber, marine conservation communications, field and research officer at Ocean Conservation Namibia; involved in seal rescues, education outreach, beach clean-ups, and public awareness. He holds a master’s in ecology and society from the University for Peace (Costa Rica).

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