Deep seabed mining in 5 questions

. COP27, Egypt. Emmanuel Macron declares, before an assembly of heads of state and governments from all over the world, that France supports the prohibition of all mining of the deep seabed. If the country - the first maritime area in the world - is taking a big step forward, the game is not however won to protect the deep sea. Why exploit them, what are these coveted minerals, where are they, what does the law say, what are the threats to the environment? Answers in our article. What is deep seabed mining?. The exploitation of the seabed, also called deep sea mining , consists in extracting rare metals and materials present in the depths of the ocean (200 meters below sea level) in order to satisfy our technological need and ensure, paradoxically, the energy transition: manufacture of electronic devices (such a batteries and mobile phones), construction of wind turbines, photovoltaic panels and more. A report from the French Senate dated June 21, 2022 specifies that there are about forty years left for copper, cobalt and nickel before the depletion of stocks on continental surfaces. "From a technological point of view, the industrialists are already ready: ready to bring down large machines to mow the deep corals, scrape the sulfide mountains, harvest the nodules from the abyssal plains and bring it all up via a large pipe to a boat that will treat, sort and discharge useless sludge into the ocean" , deplores François Lallier, professor at Sorbonne University assigned to the Roscoff Biological Station and member of the ministerial steering committee for the objective "Deep seabed" of France 2030. Which minerals are covete