The announcement was timed to coincide with the first day of negotiations of the Jamaica-based International Seabed Authority (ISA), an intergovernmental body tasked with protecting the seabed.
"The UK government has announced its support for a moratorium on the granting of exploitation licences for deep-sea mining projects -- which involve the extraction of minerals such as precious metals, copper and cobalt -- by the ISA," the UK statement read.
"This means the UK will not sponsor or support the issuing of any such licences until sufficient scientific evidence is available to assess the potential impact of deep sea mining activities on marine ecosystems and strong, enforceable environmental regulations, standards and guidelines have been developed and adopted by the ISA."
Britain joins more than 20 other nations -- including Canada, Chile, France, Germany, Spain and New Zealand -- which have already called for a full ban, moratorium or pause on the practice.
The ISA's member nations had in July agreed on a two-year roadmap for the adoption of deep sea mining regulations, despite conservationists' calls for a moratorium on mineral extraction they say would avert marine threats.
The organisation and its member states have spent the last decade trying to hash out a mining code for the possible exploitation of nickel, cobalt and copper in deep seabed areas that fall outside national jurisdictions.
But an agreement has so far been elusive.
Environment minister Therese Coffey said the UK "will not support or sponsor any exploitation licences" while scientists assess the effect of deep-sea mining on marine ecosystems.
"This work will go alongside our wider efforts to conserve and enhance precious marine habitats around the world," she added.
The ISA, which has granted exploration licences but not yet given permission for the start of any extraction, says it is trying to balance competing interests between those who want to exploit deep sea minerals for the renewable transition and those concerned about environmental impacts.
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