New Zealand is considering withdrawing its support for an international ban on deep-sea mining, the country's resources minister told AFP on Tuesday.

Resources Minister Shane Jones said opposition to the fledgling industry was rooted in "shrill" environmental alarmism and "luxury beliefs" that ignored the need for economic growth.

New Zealand backed a ban on deep-sea mining under former progressive prime minister Jacinda Ardern in 2022, citing the risk of "irreversible" damage in poorly understood ecosystems.

However Jones, a senior minister in the governing centre-right coalition, said officials were rethinking that stance.

"We're talking about this with our foreign affairs minister," he told AFP in an interview.

"We can't deny ourselves the option where critical minerals have an increasingly critical role to play.

"We can't afford these luxury beliefs that have........

© International Business Times