Page 111 - GIS for Science, Volume 3 Preview

Close to 90% of the world trade is carried out through international shipping18 on the high seas, activities that are regulated by the International Maritime Organization. International shipping currently does not have a major footprint on most of the Salas y Gómez and Nazca Ridges. With the exception of the northern section of the Nazca Ridge, this region does not intersect major shipping routes.
Mining activities in the international seabed are regulated by the International Seabed Authority, which by 2021 has issued 31 contracts allowing for the exploration of seabed minerals19 and is in the process of developing regulations that would allow exploitation of these resources. Deep-sea mineral exploration has not yet occurred on the ridges, despite having commercially valuable minerals, thus providing a window of opportunity to proac- tively protect this area without significantly impacting the developing mining industry.
Commercial fishing activities are minimal to nonexistent on the Salas y Gómez and Nazca Ridges.20 The only exception to this are tuna fisheries concentrated just outside Peruvian national waters. However, these fisheries targeting skipjack, bigeye, and yellowfin tuna are much more successful when operating outside this area. Consequently, closing the Salas y Gómez and Nazca Ridges to commercial fishing activities would have minimal to nonexistent impacts on fishing industries.
Conserving the Last Ocean Frontiers 99