Deep Currents Collective (DCC)

DCC is an international group of activists, artists and academics concerned to promote the deep ocean and seabed as a common heritage for allkind. DCC envisions an international governance regime that will ecologically and culturally develop the deep seabed as an intrinsically relational world on which humans and nonhumans alike depend for their physical and cultural wellbeing.

We oppose extractive activities that pose ecological and cultural risks to the deep ocean.

WHY?

Diverse human and nonhuman voices and knowledges are profoundly missing from current international seabed governance frameworks.

Human relationships with the deep seabed and ecological communities are currently controlled by the extractive interests of the International Seabed Authority (ISA). The ISA is an intergovernmental organisation mandated by the UN to manage human activities in The Area – an international seabed jurisdiction covering almost half the earth’s surface. Though its mandate includes protection of deep ocean environments, for the past several decades, the ISA has directed its efforts to build the legal and operational infrastructures to enable mining activities. To date it has done so relying on the foundations of legal, economic, and Western scientific knowledges.

We are concerned to redress the absence of diverse other voices, cultural knowledges and values. We offer alternatives knowledges and approaches toward less harmful and more ecologically and culturally generative deep ocean futures.

HOW?

Resistance: DCC opposes efforts by the International Seabed Authority (ISA) to develop regulations for the advancement of deep seabed mining, to the detriment of deep ecologies and cultural interests. We call for a ban on deep seabed mining.

Development of seabed governance approaches: during ISA sessions, we offer focussed critiques and culturally informed interventions that contribute to the development of seabed governance.

Decolonising deep ocean knowledge: we foreground Indigenous ways of knowing and being to generate decolonial tools for navigating past, present, and future challenges associated with extractive seabed regimes in ways that are interdisciplinary, intergenerational, and are intertwined with our more-than-human relatives.

Witness: we form official observer delegations to ISA sessions to witness proceedings, share developments and contribute to the regulatory environment.

Cultural programs: DCC members produce cultural events and panel discussions, including side events during ISA sessions, community awareness and activist programs, and curated programs for cultural organisations.

Cultural and community networks: DCC works co-operatively with diverse universities, cultural organisations, science and conservation groups, creative youth and community groups, activist and civil society networks.

The DCC collective consists of academics, activists, artists, and lawyers. Our affiliations include the University of California, Los Angeles, the University of British Columbia, the National University of Singapore, University of Southampton, TBA 21-Academy, and EcoVyz.