New Zealand ruling against deep-sea mining set a global precedent – now Ardern should ban it | Phil McCabe and James Hita

Last week's court decision affirmed the view that seabed mining is too dangerous, too risky and too harmful to the environment

The decision by New Zealand's Supreme Court last week against a giant seabed mining proposal in the South Taranaki Bight is a wake-up call for the world's would-be seabed mining industry, both in the deep oceans of international waters and for countries contemplating such activities off their own coasts.

The mining operation, proposed by Trans-Tasman Resources (TTR), would have dug up 50 million tonnes of the seabed every year for 35 years, targeting 5m tonnes of iron ore and dumping the remaining 45m tonnes back into the ocean.