Greenpeace International has released a new report titled Gambling with the Deep Sea – Those Betting on Mining the Arctic, highlighting the Norwegian government and companies’ efforts to initiate deep sea mining in the Arctic. Concurrently, activists from Greenpeace Nordic staged a protest against Loke Marine Minerals, a Norwegian firm aiming to become the world’s largest producer of controversial seabed minerals.
Haldis Tjeldflaat Helle, Campaigner for Greenpeace Nordic, criticized Loke Marine Minerals for disregarding warnings from scientists and civil society. “We cannot let this dangerous industry, with no social license, bully governments into allowing destruction of some of the most pristine ecosystems on earth. We are here to amplify the voices of millions who oppose deep sea mining,” she stated. Helle pointed out the irony of Loke being named after a deceitful Norse god, emphasizing the need to protect ocean health.
In a creative act of protest, Greenpeace Nordic activists visited Loke’s headquarters in Stavanger with a giant inflatable pink octopus and a “deep sea betting” slot machine, replacing the company logo with “Loke – playing tricks again.”
Actor Gustaf Skarsgård, a Greenpeace ambassador, joined the protest with his brother Valter Skarsgård. He expressed concern over the crisis facing oceans due to climate change, overfishing, and pollution. “Deep sea mining would bring destruction into one of the last ecosystems protected from human exploitation. We must invest in understanding and protecting these ecosystems rather than destroying them,” he said.
In March 2023, Loke acquired UK Seabed Resources, a subsidiary of Lockheed Martin, which included exploration licenses for deep sea mining in the Clarion Clipperton Zone in the Pacific Ocean. Loke is also seeking exploitation licenses in areas opened by the Norwegian government for Arctic mining, specifically targeting manganese crusts that take millions of years to form.
The initiative has faced backlash from Indigenous communities, particularly in the Pacific, as well as from the Saami Council and the Inuit Circumpolar Council of Greenland. Numerous environmental groups and scientists, along with major companies like Google, Apple, and BMW, have called for a ban or a pause on deep sea mining, further emphasizing the widespread opposition to this practice.
