Underwater phosphate mining plan stirs criticism in Mexico

Often lost in the battles over offshore oil and gas drilling is the less well known but highly controversial practice of ocean-floor mining. Consider the uproar in Mexico over efforts by Odyssey Marine Exploration, a U.S.-based ocean exploration company, to begin dredging phosphates from the bottom of Ulloa Bay on the western coast of Mexico’s Baja California Sur state. In a public communiqué released Sept. 9, Odyssey argued that its underwater mining project is not only important to the food security of Mexico, which imports over 80% of its fertilizer, but can be done with minimal environmental impact. But numerous Mexican and international environmental groups reject that claim. They say the company’s plans to dredge an estimated 350 million tons of phosphate-rich... [Log in to read more]

Would you like to Subscribe?