Lawmakers in Norway make a deal opening up for deep sea mining in Arctic

Norway’s government and two large opposition parties have agreed to allow seabed mineral exploration in the Arctic. However, the plan is controversial and environmental groups are warning that deep-sea mining would threaten the biodiversity of the vulnerable ecosystems. In June, Norway said it wanted to open parts of its continental shelf for commercial deep sea mining in line with the country’s strategy to seek new economic opportunities and reduce its reliance on the oil and gas industry. The Scandinavian country which is one of the world’s wealthiest countries due to its vast oil and gas reserves, says it has significant mineral resources on the seabed.