The Sea - The Last Frontier Asset
Poku Adaa
POKU ADAA takes on a maritime task to discuss matters which are of interest to all for whom the 'Sea is the last frontier asset'.The International Port and Marine Fair, the Ocean Expo and the International Maritime Exhibition, Ocean Tropique, which concurrently took place in Bordeaux in France late last year were attended by seven West African countries, Senegal, Togo, Ivory Coast, Mauritania, Gabon, Congo and Cameroons. The interests of these countries in these events stem mainly from the relevance to them of the lectures that formed the core of the activities and also from the fact that these nations recognise the importance of the sea and its resources to their developments.
There were a catalogue of symposia on: The international Laws of the Sea, Environmental pollution of the oceans, Ports and Harbours, Shipping, Naval architecture and shipbuilding, oil and offshore explorations, and many others. The lectures and discussions were accompanied in glamour by the exhibitions of extensive array of marine hardwares and gadgetry for harnessing the resources of the oceans and for dealing with traumas of the oceans as well. Technology has obviously not underestimated the might of the oceans to serve mankind and to cause distress to mankind in equal vein.
The mining of the ocean-bed, the possible carving of the oceans into allotments and concessions in future and the United Nations Law of the Sea emerged as areas of great relevance to most developing countries. Similarly, of all the hardwares exhibited, there were gadgets and machines which actually depend on sea-water as a raw material in order to be operated, the so-called sea-water batteries and motors, which generated lots of inter- est among observers and participants from developing countries.
The ocean-bed is likely to be a major source of metals and minerals which will be needed to support industrial and technological advancements in the future, particularly of copper, cobalt, manganese, nickel and zinc. What role developing countries are likely to play in the exploitation of these last resources of mankind are not exactly clear at the present time. There are at the moment five main ocean-bed mining consortia composed of several multi-national companies from the developed countries who are geared to pioneer the recovery of metals and minerals from under the oceans. To date, these consortia have spent some $400 million in developing the technology for ocean mining and selected tests have been going on in many parts of the world for many years now.
In 1979, huge quantities of zinc metal were mined from depths of over 2000 metres in the Red Sea by American companies. Deposits of rich manganese nodules have been confirmed beyond doubt in several of the globe's continental shelves.
It is generally conceived, however, that full scale commercial investments may not be likely for at least 7-10 years because land-based mineral resources are yet to be fully exhausted. The most promising discovery yet is the reported 25 million tonnes of sulfide deposits containing about $2 billion worth of copper lying off the shores of Ecuador research and pollution. in South America located in ocean depths nearly 2,500 metres. Ocean-bed mining for tin metal is very promising in South East Asia where about 18,000 tonnes of tin are considered recoverable from the ocean-bed lying off Thailand.
RESOURCES
Further on in the south Pacific, a UN team is carrying out surveys and assessments of the potential of offshore mining in ten countries in the area. The potential riches that may accrue to developing countries from National Jurisdiction'. ocean-bed mining is yet untold but very substantial, that is technological and financial breakthroughs, permitting.To regulate access to the resources of the ocean-bed on an international scale among other similar maritime issues, the United Nations Organisation initi- ated discussions for the Law of the Sea about ten years ago. After protracted controversial and often emotive deliberations for so many years, the Law of the Sea Treaty (LOST) was finally signed by 117 nations in December 1982 which declared that the vast area and resources of the ocean bed are the common heritage of mankind.
The new Treaty created two new international organisations, the International Sea-Bed Authority and the International Tribunal on the Law of the sea. It was at the preparatory meeting to launch these organisations in April 1983 that the deep divide between Western developed countries and developing countries especially Africa really surfaced and bogged down the meeting for several days. This was not surprising since the US is now well known to have decided not to sign the Treaty because of the mining provisions relating to the transfer of technology and for access to minerals which she considers critical for her future progress.
Particularly, the US mining industry could not see eye to eye with the majority of the countries on the proposals that 70% of the profits earned by the mining consortia should be given to the Third World. Consequently, the US mining industry has led a rebel group of nations to create an alternative independent treaty outside the aegis of the UN sponsored LOST, in order to forge ahead planned programmes for exploiting the resources of the ocean bed. The US ambivalence is demonstrated by her apparent support of the other sections of LOST which relate to marine navigation, freedom of passage through international waters, marine
Similarly, France and Japan are participants of the two rivalling treaties, to have the best of both worlds, as it were. This matter about ocean-bed mining is likely to continue to be a source of friction between the signatories of the American-inspired 'mini-treaty' and the bulk of Third World Countries.
Arising out of these treaties is the apparent sub-division of the geological strata of the ocean into the "The Exclusive Economic Zone' delineated by a 200 mile limit from shore, and the no man's land labelled beautifully as the 'Area of the Sea-Bed beyond
These two artificial definitions and the refusal of the US and other nations to accede to the Law of the Sea Treaty pose great challenges to poorer countries. Developing countries' delegates who met the Bordeaux meeting were in no doubt that the only protection for poorer countries from international mining poachers will be a fairer implementation of the LOST and enforcement of the decisions of the Tribunal on the Law of the Sea.
And now to shift the trend to another maritime matter. In order for any work to be undertaken under the sea, for either engineering, geological, or explorations reasons, for or submarine photography or for saving the lives of casualties of sea accidents, power for propelling instruments and machines under the sea is crucial. There have been many power sources of undersea activities for many years and new and sophisticated ones are being developed every day. Of these, electrical batteries and motors which are activated by sea water have a ring of appropriate technology about them and may offer some potential for developing countries who may not have the means to equip their marine institutions with more expensive power systems. Sea water batteries work by simply immersing the battery in sea-water and then connecting it to the light source or particular instrument. As long as the sea-water flows through it the battery keeps on working and without sea water, they can be stored indefinitely.
Sea-water gadgets have been in the development stage for a long time since Lawson & Harris patented their discoveries in the early 1950's in America The US Navy has developed which uses sea water working fluid and capable of driving tools and gears for divers on rescue missions at sea. A similar system has also been developed in France called Sea-water powered Heat Source designed to keep divers warm in cold oceans.
Technological developments in this area of submarine power sources is developing fast and there are indications that the batteries can be modified to be able to be operated not only under the sea but also on land by being activated by any flowing fluid, ordinary water for instance. Thus the possibility of long lu ior that
