Deep Sea Mining Could Spell Big Trouble For Seafood Prices

A staple in many diets and a source of income for countless fishermen and seafood suppliers, tuna is worth billions of dollars on the global market. But there's trouble brewing beneath the waves. A new study published by NPJ Ocean Sustainability warns of a looming threat to tuna populations and the seafood industry.

According to the study, tuna's migration patterns are expected to be significantly altered due to climate change, leading them towards areas that are being targeted for deep-sea mining. This overlap could disrupt the tuna's breeding and migration patterns, potentially causing severe harm to the fishing industry, which is valued at $5.5 billion. Many groups, including the seafood industry, are calling for a halt to deep-sea mining plans until further research is conducted.

Daniel Suddaby, the executive director at Global Tuna Alliance, told The Guardian that this is "uncharted territory," as he expressed his concerns. "From threats of prey food shortages due to disrupted midwater ecosystems to the potential upheaval of migration patterns caused by mining disturbances," he said, "we must navigate this uncertain landscape with caution. With climate change scenarios further complicating the picture, we cannot underestimate the stakes involved."

As the world grapples with rising food costs, the potential impact on such a vital industry could have far-reaching consequences, leading to, per the study, "environmental and economic repercussions will be exacerbated in a climate-altered ocean." Professor Douglas McCauley, a co-author of the study and the director of the Benioff Ocean Science Laboratory, told The Guardian, "We would be horrified at dumping mining waste across our food-producing regions on land." His solution? More research. 

"We shouldn't be rushing into a decision that could significantly harm ocean ecosystems essential to planetary health and global food security," McCauley told the outlet. Calls for a halt to mining plans are growing louder, with Canada, Switzerland, and Ireland joining the cause. Only time will tell how this conflict will play out. But one thing is certain: unless something changes soon, the future of tuna — and seafood prices across the board — could be in jeopardy. 

Various groups in the seafood industry have penned a letter to the International Seabed Authority, which will meet this week to determine mining rules and regulations, to "strongly recommend a pause on deep-sea mining until there is a clear understanding of the impacts the industry may have on the marine environment, its living resources, and those dependent on them."