The investigation has revealed that:
Commercial exploration of the deep oceans is increasing, despite serious economic and environmental concerns about the industry’s viability.
Opaque corporate practices obscure lines of profit, liability and control, with corporations acquiring exploration contracts covering 500,000km2, including large areas reserved for developing Pacific island nations.
Developing nations are being exposed to significant economic and environmental risk, while those in line to profit are overwhelmingly based in Europe and North America.
Industry exerts undue influence over government policy, with Freedom of Information requests showing that the UK Government has taken as fact a Lockheed Martin estimate that deep sea mining could make the UK £40bn over 30 years, with no independent verification.