Greenland’s parliament approves resolution on seabed mining moratorium — RMF24

Greenland’s parliament unanimously adopted a resolution obliging the government to introduce a ban on extracting minerals from the seabed. As RMF24 reports, the moratorium on deep-sea mining is to remain in force until the end of 2029 and may be extended for subsequent two-year periods.

The law is planned to be adopted in 2027

Parliament is to adopt the law on the moratorium in the first half of 2027, during the spring session. Lawmakers explained the decision by the need to protect the valuable marine environment and fish welfare. Fishing is an important sector of Greenland’s economy.

The resolution was adopted the day after US President Donald Trump announced preparations for a large-scale search for oil and gas deposits on the island. In a post on the Truth Social platform, he provided no details, so it is unknown whether he also meant extracting resources from the seabed.

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Mining is regulated by Greenlandic legislation

Trump also mentioned a security agreement that the United States, Denmark and Greenland signed in September in New York. Denmark’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the document does not grant the United States special privileges, and issues of mineral extraction are regulated by Greenlandic legislation.

Large-scale extraction of raw materials has not yet begun on the island due to difficult Arctic conditions and a lack of infrastructure, roads and ports. Small gold and ruby mines operate there. Since 2021, the Greenlandic government has not issued new licences, while the US company Greenland Energy, which has a permit for oil extraction on the island’s east coast, has not started drilling because it lacks final approvals from Greenlandic authorities.