On December 7, 2023, the Norwegian Parliament voted to move forward with deep sea mining off the coast of Norway in an area of the ocean roughly the size of the entire United Kingdom (UK). Norway will be the first country in the world to go through with deep sea mining, actions strongly advised against by the United Nations, countless environmental agencies, over 20 countries including Canada, Sweden, Finland, Spain, Germany, Chile, and more, and mega-companies including Google, Samsung, Volvo, and BMW. The scientific data and advice from scientists around the world is clear that this action is irreversibly detrimental to the health of our oceans, the sustainability of the ecosystems, and the health and lives of all ocean species. The following letter, translated to Norwegian, was sent to the Prime Minister and 12 contesting members of parliament in a plea that the country will not move forward in their plans. I urge you to take a stand as well, as this legislation affects all of us, regardless of country, culture, or political beliefs.
For more information on contacts and email addresses of members of parliament, visit https://www.greenpeace.org/norway/vaer-med/stopp-gruvedrift-pa-havbunnen/bli-med-og-stoppe-gruvedrift-pa-havbunnen-kontakt-en-politiker/
I am writing to you on behalf of Parliament’s decision to move forward with deep sea mining off the coast of Norway, a decision that goes against scientific recommendations and is bound to have dire and irreversible consequences, not only for the ocean and its creatures, but all of us in Norway and the greater world who depend upon a healthy ocean ecosystem for our health, well-being, and economic livelihood.
When I began my move to Norway in the beginning of 2020, I believed I was moving to a country that valued nature and that lived in coexistence and symbiosis with the natural world. In the US, we view Norway as a strong and inspirational environmental leader, and while I know all countries have their faults and areas for improvement, I was encouraged in leaving my own country that had shown so much apathy and resistance to environmental legislation and protections. I saw promise in this move, a chance to work side by side with citizens who were like-minded in their mission for a greener future. I excitedly told friends back home of Norway’s progressiveness in their nation-wide recycling programs and composting, their legislation against building too close to environmental havens, of the country’s laws regarding freedom to roam.
This hope was shattered the day Freya was killed. With a swift punch to the gut and a stab to my heart, I knew that my optimism had been misplaced, that my growing suspicions and unease were grounded in reality. All of Norway’s talk of working towards a greener future, its teaching of living side by side in coexistence with nature, were nothing more than pretty words and a glorious facade, painted on so beautifully that the rest of the world was fooled into believing every word. This hope was dashed further with a reversal of protection for critically endangered wolves that are essential for healthy forests and healthy ecosystems, and again when the rights of indigenous citizens were ignored over and over under a disguise of environmentally-friendly energy production. But I do not write to speak of the past. I write to speak of our future, as a country, as a world. I write to speak of the power over which Norway has over its legacy on this one and only beautiful planet that we inhabit.
A decision may have been made to begin deep sea mining within the ocean bed, but that doesn’t mean it has to move forward. There is still time to change your mind.
If Norway chooses to go through with deep sea mining, it will be the first country in the entire world to do so. This may seem now like a great achievement, like the first country to land on the moon or to inhabit Mars. But in reality it is a legacy that can only end in irreversible destruction, to the environment, to the creatures living in our oceans, to the fishermen and maritime communities whose livelihood and subsistence in Norway, and countries beyond, depend upon them.
My reasons for stopping deep sea mining are not the same as yours- a need for the survival of the beautiful, diverse, and sacred creatures that inhabit our oceans; to protect clean waters and pristine nature for travel, reflection, and mental health. Instead there are other reasons that that should deeply matter to Norway as a country, as a well-functioning and economically thriving society, that although lie in different camps, are equally important of consideration.
Norway’s reputation as a Green Leader will be shattered.
Moving forward with this plan to mine the seabed in an area around the size of the UK goes against strong advise from the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, the Convention on Migratory Species, and the High Seas Treaty. In addition to these, scientists and marine biologists around the world, as well as a multitude of other countries including neighboring Finland and Sweden, Canada, Chile, France, Spain, Portugal, and Germany, among others, stand strongly against this action. Even mega-companies with a deep stake in benefiting from the profits stand against this move, including Google, Samsung, Volvo, and BMW. There simply is not enough scientific data, and moving forward without more knowledge and insight is negligent, irresponsible, and dangerous. The world knows this, the scientists know this, the companies know this. Doing so completely undermines Norway’s international credibility, its positive environmental standing, and the country’s commitment to the greener future which Norway claims that it so deeply holds.
Norway’s economy and livelihood is deeply dependent upon fishing and fisheries, which will no longer be viable.
Norway thrives on its fisheries, production of salmon, and fishing vessels. Mining along the coast of Norway has the power to destroy all of this, causing toxic debris, wide-spread water pollution, and contamination throughout all oceans in the world. While our maps may divide our salt waters into different oceans and seas, the truth is we only have one ocean, with gradually flows and blends itself within other oceans, seas, and tributaries across the entire world. By releasing contaminants into one section of our oceans, we contaminate all of the oceans, killing salmon, crab, haddock, clip-fish, lobster, prawns, mackerel, herring, trout… The list of species of Norway’s subsistence goes on and on. Not only will this seafood become toxic to eat, as is already happening around the world due to other types of ocean pollution, the mining will destroy the delicate ecosystem that all of these fish and sea creatures depend upon. The destruction of one species affects all species, meaning that the loss and demise of trout, for example, not only affects trout but all species below and above them in the food chain, including crabs, shrimp, and other mollusks and crustaceans, as well as whales, sharks, seals, polar bears, sea birds, and more.
To move forward with this mining means effectively disregarding all of Norway’s heritage, economic livelihood, and sustainability as a maritime nation, a legacy that has carried it through and around the world since before the country was founded as a sovereign nation.
Norway’s tourism industry will be deeply affected.
Norway is known around the world as a haven for wildlife, pristine nature, and arctic creatures that can only be seen here in this beautiful, wild, and picturesque country. For this reason, travelers and tourists around the globe flock to this small but magical country to embark on polar bear expeditions, whale and puffin tours, to hike along the fjords, and to surf along sparkling coastal beaches. According to Statistisk sentralbyrå, tourism in Norway increased by 33% in 2022, with 36.1 million overnight guests.
Disregarding the health and fragility of Norway’s ecosystems, the biodiversity of its species, and the health of its oceans and fjords WILL negatively affect this tourism. Without incredible seafood, picturesque fjords, and unique arctic wildlife, there will be no reason for travelers to come, instead choosing other more eco-conscious countries, such as Sweden, Finland, and Iceland. Norway’s reputation will not only be shattered, but this loss of tourism will have a detrimental effect on the overall economy, including hotels, restaurants, airlines and transportation companies, and tourism agencies nation-wide, as well as a multitude of other facets of the Norwegian tourism industry.
As I have stated earlier, my hopes and deep pleas for Norway to reverse their stance on moving forward with deep sea mining stem from entirely different reasons. As a fierce lover and defender of nature, wildlife, and the natural world, I have dedicated hundreds, if not thousands, of hours to environmental efforts including youth environmental education, river and ocean cleanups, species conservation, invasive species removal, tree planting, and more. I know firsthand the undeniably powerful, positive effects that nature and animals have on mental and physical health and well-being, of the joy that they bring me each and every day. But I deeply believe that regardless of our reasons, our divergence in beliefs, one truth remains the same. Deep sea mining is not good for Norway, or its citizens, or the world.
The country is standing at a crossroads, and there is still time to move forward along a different path. Norway has the power to choose a path that embraces scientific data instead of ignoring and disregarding it, a path that supports its maritime industry and legacy while preserving the incredible ocean biodiversity that allows this industry to be possible, a path that values the health and well-being of its citizens and its constituents, a path that embraces Norway’s legacy of protecting the environment and moving forward together towards a greener future.
The power lies in your hands, and there is still time to make a change. For Norway and for all of us.
Thank you very much for your time and consideration.
Med vennlig hilsen,
Jackie Baertschi
Sources Cited:
World Wildlife Fund, wwf.no
Statistisk sentralbyrå, ssb.no
A Mermaid Out of Water 