What is the issue over AN Seamount? • India applied to the International Seabed Authority (ISA) for rights to explore two vast tracts in the Indian Ocean.
• Sri Lanka has laid claim to it under a different set of UNCLOS laws.
What is special about this Seamount?• The
Afanasy Nikitin Seamount (AN Seamount) is a mineral-rich underwater feature located in international waters (beyond any country's exclusive economic zone).
• It's believed to contain valuable resources like cobalt, nickel, manganese, and copper.
India, Sri Lanka, and China have competing interests in a mineral-rich region of the Indian Ocean seabed.
The Underlying Issue• Continental Shelf Claims: Sri Lanka might be attempting to claim the AN Seamount as part of its extended continental shelf.
This is a developing story, hence more information is awaited.
But can India or Sri Lanka mine in the deep sea?
What is Deep Sea Mining? ⛏️
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