ISA Council Extends Deep-Sea Mining Exploration Contract Five Years, Again Fails to Finalize Mining Code

The International Seabed Authority's 36-member Council met in Kingston, Jamaica from July 13–24, 2026 and once again failed to finalize the commercial 'mining code' needed to regulate seabed extraction in international waters, pushing the next substantive negotiating session to March 2027. Marine governance expert Pradeep Singh said 'there's not going to be any adoption this year,' citing unresolved provisions on benefit-sharing and the code's scope. Separately, the Council voted to extend by five years the Pacific polymetallic-nodule exploration contract held by NORI, a subsidiary of The Metals Company, in the Clarion-Clipperton Zone. Greenpeace International observer Louisa Casson called the extension a 'dangerous precedent for both the deep sea and the rule of law,' questioning the ISA's capacity to enforce its own rules. The decision comes as 45 countries have now called for a moratorium or precautionary pause on commercial deep-sea mining, while The Metals Company and other industry advocates argue seabed nodules provide critical minerals with a smaller footprint than land-based mining.