People rest at a Black Sea beach that was reopened after being closed down last year following sea mines laid around the ports of Odesa and Mykolaiv by Russia and Ukraine, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Odesa, Ukraine August 10, 2023. REUTERS/Serhii Smolientsev 

People relax at a Black Sea beach that was reopened after being closed down last year following sea mines laid around the ports of Odesa and Mykolaiv by Russia and Ukraine, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Odesa, Ukraine August 10, 2023. REUTERS/Serhii Smolientsev 

Greenpeace activists stage a protest demanding an end to deep sea mining, in front of the Ministry of Industry in Prague, Czech Republic, June 1, 2023. REUTERS/David W Cerny 

Greenpeace activists stage a protest demanding an end to deep sea mining, in front of the Ministry of Industry in Prague, Czech Republic, June 1, 2023. REUTERS/David W Cerny TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY 

Greenpeace activists hold a protest demanding an end to deep sea mining, in front of the Ministry of Industry in Prague, Czech Republic, June 1, 2023. The banner reads: "The seabed is my home. Do not destroy it". REUTERS/David W Cerny 

Greenpeace activists hold a protest demanding an end to deep sea mining, in front of the Ministry of Industry in Prague, Czech Republic, June 1, 2023. The banner reads: "The seabed is my home. Do not destroy it". REUTERS/David W Cerny 

Greenpeace activists hold a protest demanding an end to deep sea mining, in front of the Ministry of Industry in Prague, Czech Republic, June 1, 2023. REUTERS/David W Cerny 

Greenpeace activists hold a protest demanding an end to deep sea mining, in front of the Ministry of Industry in Prague, Czech Republic, June 1, 2023. REUTERS/David W Cerny 

Greenpeace activists hold a protest demanding an end to deep sea mining, in front of the Ministry of Industry in Prague, Czech Republic, June 1, 2023. The banner reads: "The seabed is my home. Do not destroy it". REUTERS/David W Cerny 

Greenpeace activists hold a protest demanding an end to deep sea mining, in front of the Ministry of Industry in Prague, Czech Republic, June 1, 2023. REUTERS/David W Cerny 

Greenpeace activists hold a protest demanding an end to deep sea mining, in front of the Ministry of Industry in Prague, Czech Republic, June 1, 2023. REUTERS/David W Cerny 

Greenpeace activists hold a protest demanding an end to deep sea mining, in front of the Ministry of Industry in Prague, Czech Republic, June 1, 2023. REUTERS/David W Cerny 

A Japanese woman throws a flower towards the sea for the victims who were killed at the Chosei coal mine in Ube, Yamaguchi Prefecture, Japan, February 4, 2023. REUTERS/Kim Kyung-Hoon 

Lee Ki-byung, a South Korean relative of one of 183 workers killed in a disaster at the Chosei coal mine, bows his head towards the sea where he believes the body of his wife’s grandfather may be entombed beneath the ocean in Ube, Yamaguchi Prefecture, Japan, February 4, 2023. REUTERS/Kim Kyung-Hoon 

A Greenpeace activist holds a sign as he confronts the deep sea mining vessel Hidden Gem, commissioned by Canadian miner The Metals Company, as it returned to port from eight weeks of test mining in the Clarion-Clipperton Zone between Mexico and Hawaii, off the coast of Manzanillo, Mexico November 16, 2022. REUTERS/Gustavo Graf 

Greenpeace activists from New Zealand and Mexico confront the deep sea mining vessel Hidden Gem, commissioned by Canadian miner The Metals Company, as it returned to port from eight weeks of test mining in the Clarion-Clipperton Zone between Mexico and Hawaii, off the coast of Manzanillo, Mexico November 16, 2022. REUTERS/Gustavo Graf 

Greenpeace activists from New Zealand and Mexico confront the deep sea mining vessel Hidden Gem, commissioned by Canadian miner The Metals Company, as it returned to port from eight weeks of test mining in the Clarion-Clipperton Zone between Mexico and Hawaii, off the coast of Manzanillo, Mexico November 16, 2022. REUTERS/Gustavo Graf 

The deep sea mining vessel Hidden Gem, commissioned by Canadian miner The Metals Company, returns to port after eight weeks of test mining in the Clarion-Clipperton Zone between Mexico and Hawaii, off the coast of Manzanillo, Mexico November 16, 2022. REUTERS/Gustavo Graf 

A Greenpeace activist holds a sign as she confronts the deep sea mining vessel Hidden Gem, commissioned by Canadian miner The Metals Company, as it returned to port from eight weeks of test mining in the Clarion-Clipperton Zone between Mexico and Hawaii, off the coast of Manzanillo, Mexico November 16, 2022. REUTERS/Gustavo Graf 

A sign reads "Danger! Mines!" at a beach as swans enjoy the waters of the Black Sea, amid Russia's invasion of Ukraine, in Koblevo near Mykolaiv, Ukraine, September 2, 2022. REUTERS/Umit Bektas 

A woman cools herself off on the bank of a river as she walks to a fresh water supply station in Mykolaiv, where swimming in the Black Sea is banned because of a mine threat, amid Russia's invasion of Ukraine, in Mykolaiv, Ukraine, August 26, 2022. REUTERS/Umit Bektas 

A man cools himself off on the bank of a river in Mykolaiv, where swimming in the Black Sea is banned because of a mine threat, amid Russia's invasion of Ukraine, in Mykolaiv, Ukraine, August 26, 2022. REUTERS/Umit Bektas 

A warning sign is seen as the Liberian-flagged bulk carrier Osprey S arrives to the sea port in Chornomorsk after restarting grain export, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, Ukraine August 10, 2022. The sign reads: 'Caution! Mines!' REUTERS/Serhii Smolientsev 

The Liberian-flagged bulk carrier Ocean Lion leaves the sea port in Chornomorsk after restarting grain export, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, Ukraine August 9, 2022. The inscription on the awareness poster reads: "Caution! Mines!". REUTERS/Serhii Smolientsev 

Turkish Navy's Aydin class mine hunting vessel TCG Akcay sails in the Bosphorus on its way to the Black Sea in Istanbul, Turkey March 26, 2022. REUTERS/Yoruk Isik 

Turkish Navy's Aydin class mine hunting vessel TCG Akcay sails in the Bosphorus on its way to the Black Sea in Istanbul, Turkey March 26, 2022. REUTERS/Yoruk Isik 

Workers conduct excavator maintenance at the Kumtor open pit gold mine at an altitude of about 4,000 meters above sea level in the Tien Shan mountains, Kyrgyzstan, May 28, 2021. Picture taken May 28, 2021. REUTERS/Vladimir Pirogov 

A worker stands on the bank of the lake near Petrov glacier, main water source for the Kumtor open pit gold mine at an altitude of about 4,000 meters above sea level, in the Tien Shan mountains, Kyrgyzstan, May 28, 2021. Picture taken May 28, 2021. REUTERS/Vladimir Pirogov 

A general view shows a sewage treatment station at the Kumtor open pit gold mine at an altitude of about 4,000 meters above sea level in the Tien Shan mountains, Kyrgyzstan, May 28, 2021. Picture taken May 28, 2021. REUTERS/Vladimir Pirogov 

A general view shows the lake near the Petrov glacier, main water source for the Kumtor open pit gold mine at an altitude of about 4,000 meters above sea level, in the Tien Shan mountains, Kyrgyzstan, May 28, 2021. Picture taken May 28, 2021. REUTERS/Vladimir Pirogov 

A general view shows the Kumtor open pit gold mine at an altitude of about 4,000 meters above sea level in the Tien Shan mountains, Kyrgyzstan, May 28, 2021. Picture taken May 28, 2021. REUTERS/Vladimir Pirogov 

A general view shows the Kumtor open pit gold mine at an altitude of about 4,000 meters above sea level in the Tien Shan mountains, Kyrgyzstan, May 28, 2021. Picture taken May 28, 2021. REUTERS/Vladimir Pirogov 

A general view shows the Kumtor open pit gold mine at an altitude of about 4,000 meters above sea level in the Tien Shan mountains, Kyrgyzstan, May 28, 2021. Picture taken May 28, 2021. REUTERS/Vladimir Pirogov 

A general view shows the Kumtor open pit gold mine at an altitude of about about 4,000 meters above sea level in the Tien Shan mountains, Kyrgyzstan, May 28, 2021. Picture taken May 28, 2021. REUTERS/Vladimir Pirogov 

A dump truck drives at the Kumtor open pit gold mine at an altitude of about 4,000 meters above sea level in the Tien Shan mountains, Kyrgyzstan, May 28, 2021. Picture taken May 28, 2021. REUTERS/Vladimir Pirogov 

A general view shows the ore processing factory at the Kumtor open pit gold mine at an altitude of about 4,000 meters above sea level in the Tien Shan mountains, Kyrgyzstan, May 28, 2021. Picture taken May 28, 2021. REUTERS/Vladimir Pirogov 

A general view shows the ore processing factory at the Kumtor open pit gold mine at an altitude of about about 4,000 meters above sea level in the Tien Shan mountains, Kyrgyzstan, May 28, 2021. Picture taken May 28, 2021. REUTERS/Vladimir Pirogov 

Dump trucks drive at the Kumtor open pit gold mine at an altitude of about 4,000 meters above sea level in the Tien Shan mountains, Kyrgyzstan, May 28, 2021. Picture taken May 28, 2021. REUTERS/Vladimir Pirogov 

Stacks of refined tin blocks, ready to be exported, are seen inside a warehouse in Pangkal Pinang, on the island of Bangka, Indonesia, May 4, 2021. REUTERS/Willy Kurniawan SEARCH "KURNIAWAN TIN" FOR THIS STORY. SEARCH "WIDER IMAGE" FOR ALL STORIES 

An aerial view shows a lake known as Kulong Biru (blue lake) in Koba, on the island of Bangka, Indonesia, May 2, 2021. Deposits in the mining hub of Bangka-Belitung have been heavily exploited on land, leaving parts of the islands off the southeast coast of Sumatra island resembling a lunar landscape with vast craters and highly acidic, turquoise lakes. Picture taken with a drone. REUTERS/Willy Kurniawan SEARCH "KURNIAWAN TIN" FOR THIS STORY. SEARCH "WIDER IMAGE" FOR ALL STORIES TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY 

Fishing nets and buoys lie on a boat belonging to Apriadi Anwar, 45, a local fisherman in Batu Perahu village in Toboali, on the southern shores of the island of Bangka, Indonesia, May 2, 2021. Apriadi said in the past his family earned enough to pay for his two younger siblings to go to university, but in recent years, they have barely scraped by. "Never mind going to university, these days it's difficult to even buy food," he said. Apriadi says fishing nets can get tangled up in offshore mining equipment, while trawling the seabed to find seams of ore has polluted once-pristine waters. "Fish are becoming scarce because the coral where they spawn is now covered with mud from the mining," he added. REUTERS/Willy Kurniawan SEARCH "KURNIAWAN TIN" FOR THIS STORY. SEARCH "WIDER IMAGE" FOR ALL STORIES 

Supriandi Jamil, 41, a local fisherman, rests after helping other fishermen unload their catch in Batu Perahu village, in Toboali, on the southern shores of the island of Bangka, Indonesia, May 2, 2021. REUTERS/Willy Kurniawan SEARCH "KURNIAWAN TIN" FOR THIS STORY. SEARCH "WIDER IMAGE" FOR ALL STORIES 

Sudarmadi, 40, a local fisherman, carries his catch off the boat in Batu Perahu village in Toboali, on the southern shores of the island of Bangka, Indonesia, May 2, 2021. REUTERS/Willy Kurniawan SEARCH "KURNIAWAN TIN" FOR THIS STORY. SEARCH "WIDER IMAGE" FOR ALL STORIES 

Fish lie inside a jerrycan in Batu Perahu village, in Toboali, on the southern shores of the island of Bangka, Indonesia, May 2, 2021. REUTERS/Willy Kurniawan SEARCH "KURNIAWAN TIN" FOR THIS STORY. SEARCH "WIDER IMAGE" FOR ALL STORIES 

Apriadi Anwar, 45, a local fisherman, his son Avanza, 12, and his friend, collect their catches as they return from fishing, in Batu Perahu village, in Toboali, on the southern shores of the island of Bangka, Indonesia, May 2, 2021. Apriadi said in the past his family earned enough to pay for his two younger siblings to go to university, but in recent years, they have barely scraped by. "Never mind going to university, these days it's difficult to even buy food," he said. Apriadi says fishing nets can get tangled up in offshore mining equipment, while trawling the seabed to find seams of ore has polluted once-pristine waters. "Fish are becoming scarce because the coral where they spawn is now covered with mud from the mining," he added. REUTERS/Willy Kurniawan SEARCH "KURNIAWAN TIN" FOR THIS STORY. SEARCH "WIDER IMAGE" FOR ALL STORIES 

An aerial view shows wooden pontoons equipped to dredge the seabed for deposits of tin ore off the coast of Toboali, on the southern shores of the island of Bangka, Indonesia, May 1, 2021. Picture taken with a drone. REUTERS/Willy Kurniawan SEARCH "KURNIAWAN TIN" FOR THIS STORY. SEARCH "WIDER IMAGE" FOR ALL STORIES 

An artisanal tin miner pulls a rope while working on a pontoon off the coast of Toboali, on the southern shores of the island of Bangka, Indonesia, May 1, 2021. REUTERS/Willy Kurniawan SEARCH "KURNIAWAN TIN" FOR THIS STORY. SEARCH "WIDER IMAGE" FOR ALL STORIES 

An artisanal tin miner holds a suction hose as he works on a pontoon off the coast of Toboali, on the southern shores of the island of Bangka, Indonesia, May 1, 2021. REUTERS/Willy Kurniawan SEARCH "KURNIAWAN TIN" FOR THIS STORY. SEARCH "WIDER IMAGE" FOR ALL STORIES 

Artisanal tin miners install a suction pipe on a pontoon off the coast of Toboali, on the southern shores of the island of Bangka, Indonesia, May 1, 2021. REUTERS/Willy Kurniawan SEARCH "KURNIAWAN TIN" FOR THIS STORY. SEARCH "WIDER IMAGE" FOR ALL STORIES 

Amirudin, 43, a field supervisor of the state tin mining company PT Timah, rests on a makeshift hammock, on a tin pontoon off the coast of Toboali, on the southern shores of the island of Bangka, Indonesia, May 1, 2021. Timah has been ramping up production from the sea. Company data shows its proven tin reserve on land was 16,399 tonnes last year, compared with 265,913 tonnes offshore. REUTERS/Willy Kurniawan SEARCH "KURNIAWAN TIN" FOR THIS STORY. SEARCH "WIDER IMAGE" FOR ALL STORIES TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY 

Smoke from diesel generators rises from pontoons off the coast of Toboali, on the southern shores of the island of Bangka, Indonesia, May 1, 2021. REUTERS/Willy Kurniawan SEARCH "KURNIAWAN TIN" FOR THIS STORY. SEARCH "WIDER IMAGE" FOR ALL STORIES 

An aerial view shows wooden pontoons equipped to dredge the seabed for deposits of tin ore off the coast of Toboali, on the southern shores of the island of Bangka, Indonesia, May 1, 2021. Picture taken with a drone. REUTERS/Willy Kurniawan SEARCH "KURNIAWAN TIN" FOR THIS STORY. SEARCH "WIDER IMAGE" FOR ALL STORIES TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY 

An artisanal tin miner uses a plastic tub to check the sand of tin ore while working on a pontoon off the coast of Toboali, southern shores of the island of Bangka, Indonesia, May 1, 2021. REUTERS/Willy Kurniawan SEARCH "KURNIAWAN TIN" FOR THIS STORY. SEARCH "WIDER IMAGE" FOR ALL STORIES 

Hendra, 51, a tin miner, stands on top of his pontoon while monitoring the mining operation off the coast of Toboali, on the southern shores of the island of Bangka, Indonesia, May 1, 2021. Hendra operates six pontoons, each manned by three to four workers. He is among scores of artisanal miners who partner with PT Timah to exploit the state miner's concessions. The miners are paid about 70,000 to 80,000 rupiah ($4.90 to $5.60) per kg of tin sand they pump up, and a pontoon typically produces about 50 kg a day, Hendra said. REUTERS/Willy Kurniawan SEARCH "KURNIAWAN TIN" FOR THIS STORY. SEARCH "WIDER IMAGE" FOR ALL STORIES 

Hendra, a 51-year-old tin miner, sits on a wooden boat with other miners as they head to their pontoons off the coast of Toboali, on the southern shores of the island of Bangka, Indonesia, May 1, 2021. "On land, our income is diminishing. There are no more reserves," said Hendra, who shifted to work in offshore tin mining about a year ago after a decade in the industry. "In the ocean, there are far more reserves." REUTERS/Willy Kurniawan SEARCH "KURNIAWAN TIN" FOR THIS STORY. SEARCH "WIDER IMAGE" FOR ALL STORIES 

Supriandi Jamil, 41, a local fisherman, walks through the water as he helps other fishermen unload their catch in Batu Perahu village in Toboali, on the southern shores of the island of Bangka, Indonesia, May 2, 2021. REUTERS/Willy Kurniawan SEARCH "KURNIAWAN TIN" FOR THIS STORY. SEARCH "WIDER IMAGE" FOR ALL STORIES 

An abandoned fishing boat sits on Sampur Beach in Pangkal Pinang, on the island of Bangka, Indonesia, April 30, 2021. REUTERS/Willy Kurniawan SEARCH "KURNIAWAN TIN" FOR THIS STORY. SEARCH "WIDER IMAGE" FOR ALL STORIES 

A fisherman pours water out of a boat on Sampur Beach, in Pangkal Pinang, on the island of Bangka, Indonesia, April 30, 2021. REUTERS/Willy Kurniawan SEARCH "KURNIAWAN TIN" FOR THIS STORY. SEARCH "WIDER IMAGE" FOR ALL STORIES 

Unlicensed miners work in a tin mining area in Toboali, on the southern shores of the island of Bangka, Indonesia, April 29, 2021. Miners who continue working on land have to deploy expensive heavy machinery to dig deeper for tin ore as reserves dwindle. Amri, an unlicensed miner, said he had restarted his land operations after a 14-month hiatus when tin prices rose due to tighter global supplies. REUTERS/Willy Kurniawan SEARCH "KURNIAWAN TIN" FOR THIS STORY. SEARCH "WIDER IMAGE" FOR ALL STORIES