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Earlier this month, India applied to the International Seabed Authority (ISBA), Jamaica, for rights to explore two vast tracts in the Indian Ocean seabed that aren’t part of its jurisdiction.
The application to explore one of these regions, a cobalt-rich crust long known as the Afanasy Nikitin Seamount (AN Seamount), is a gambit by India.
Rights to the region have already been claimed by Sri Lanka under a separate set of laws, The Hindu has learnt, but India’s application is part-motivated by reports of Chinese vessels
undertaking reconnaissance in the same region, a highly placed official, who declined to be identified, confirmed to The Hindu.
International Seabed Authority (ISBA)
The International Seabed Authority (ISA) is an intergovernmental organization established under the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) and its 1994 Agreement.
The ISA is headquartered in Kingston, Jamaica, and has 169 members, including 168 member states and the European Union.
The Area and its resources are considered the common heritage of humankind.
The Area covers around 54% of the total area of the world's oceans.
The ISA's dual mission is to:
Organize and control the development of mineral resources in the international seabed area, ensuring the effective protection of the marine environment from harmful effects.
Safeguard the deep seabed, the waters below 200 meters or 656 feet, where photosynthesis is hampered by inadequate light.
What is Afanasy Nikitin Seamount (AN Seamount)
The Afanasy Nikitin Seamount (AN Seamount) is a major underwater mountain (seamount) located in the Eastern Equatorial Indian Ocean, south of the Indian subcontinent.
Discovered in 1959 by the Soviet research vessel "Vityaz", it was named after Afanasy Nikitin, a 15th-century Russian traveler who explored India.
The seamount is a significant feature, measuring roughly 400 kilometers long and 150 kilometers wide.
The AN Seamount is geologically part of the 85° East Ridge, a vast underwater mountain range in the Indian Ocean.
It's been noted for its potential reserves of cobalt, rare earth elements, and platinum.
These metals are found in cobalt-rich ferromanganese crusts that coat parts of the seamount.
However, there's currently no commercial exploitation of the Afanasy Nikitin Seamount.
The International Seabed Authority (ISA) is responsible for regulating mineral extraction in international waters, and environmental considerations are a major factor.
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