The Meridian Wire

Lead storyHigh Seas Accord

The Seabed Gets a Ceasefire

After eleven nights of talks in Valparaíso, 61 nations signed a ten-year pause on deep-sea mining — and left the hardest question, who polices four kilometres of dark water, for another day.

• ExplainerWhat is a polymetallic nodule, and why does everyone want one?
• The holdoutsFive delegations walked out on night nine. Two came back with conditions
• AnalysisA pause is not a ban — and the miners’ lawyers can count to ten