The International Seabed Authority (ISA), the UN-associated regulator of seabed mining activities in areas beyond national jurisdiction, has extended a controversial deep-sea mining exploration contract and once again failed to finalise the rules needed to regulate commercial seabed mining. Forty-five countries have also called for a moratorium or precautionary pause on deep-sea mining. Advocates for the industry, on the other hand, say that deep-sea mining would be far less destructive than land-based mining and would provide important sources of critical minerals needed for renewable energy and defence technologies. While DSHMRA is a valid domestic law, its legality under international law is disputed. During its July meeting, the ISA’s council also spent considerable time negotiating the rules that would eventually govern the exploitation stage of deep-sea mining.