(Bloomberg) -- The Norwegian government’s plans to open up for mining on the sea floor have been shelved as part of a deal to get its budget through parliament.
The Socialist Left, which isn’t officially part of the minority coalition but is relied upon by the Labor-led government for passing its budgets, blocked permit announcements for the controversial mining projects through 2025, in a deal struck on Sunday.
The Nordic country was one of the first to announce plans to open up for mining on the sea floor, a step that has been highly criticized by environmental and fishing groups due to the possible damage to marine life.
“We have used our negotiating power to stop licensing for deep sea mining for minerals,” Kirsti Bergsto, leader of the Socialist Left, told reporters in Oslo. “We look at this as a longer fight.”
The government proposed in June putting forward 386 blocks in the Arctic as part of the first licensing round, saying it planned to to award licenses in the first half of 2025.
The area makes up about 38% of the 280,000 square kilometers (108,000 square miles) opened for exploration of minerals on the continental shelf off the Norwegian coast earlier this year, with backing of the country’s parliament.
While the ruling coalition of Premier Jonas Gahr Store faces an uphill battle to extend its term after parliamentary election due next September, the leading opposition parties have backed its plans on awarding permits for such mining.
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