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Chapter 2
Overview of the Authority’s Regulations
and Recommendations to Ensure the
Effective Protection of the Marine
Environment from Harmful Effects That
May Arise from Activities in the Area
Mr. Jean-Pierre Lenoble
Member of Legal and Technical Commission (ISA), France
SUMMARY OF PRESENTATION
The Legal and Technical Commission (LTC) of the International
Seabed Authority is in the process of elaborating a document called “Draft
recommendations for the guidance of the contractors for the assessment of
the possible environmental impacts arising from exploration for polymetallic
nodules in the Area” 1 . This working document, formerly called guidelines
for contractors, has arisen from the work done at the 1998 Workshop held
by the Authority at Sanya, China, on the development of environmental
guidelines for deep-seabed polymetallic nodule exploration in the area of
the seabed beyond national jurisdiction 2 . The Commission has
reconsidered this paper in light of the Regulations on Prospecting and
Exploration of Polymetallic Nodules in the Area, adopted by the Authority on
13 July 2000 3 (discussed in chapter 1 above).
The LTC proposes to present to the Council at its seventh session in
July 2001 a revised paper that will take into account the results of the
present Workshop.
1. Scope
The recommendations for contractors consist of three elements:
- Environmental baseline studies,
- Environmental impact assessment during exploration,
- A monitoring programme during and after activities that have
potential for causing harmful effects on the marine environment.
INTERNATIONAL SEABED AUTHORITY 40