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Deep-sea mining tussle pits France and Germany against China
Crunch talks begin on Monday to determine future of drive to extract critical minerals from ocean depths
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Greenpeace activists holding a protest demanding an end to deep-sea mining, in front of the Ministry of Industry in Prague, Czech Republic, on June 1.
PHOTO: REUTERS
Kenza Bryan
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France and Germany are leading a fightback against plans to allow large-scale commercial mining in the deep seas, warning that a China-supported push to harvest battery metals from the seabed could do lasting harm.
Representatives of 168 member states of the International Seabed Authority (ISA) will gather on Monday for a marathon, three-week negotiation on whether to lay down the first operating guidelines for the nascent industry.
