Traditional knowledge and its incorporation in the exploitation regulations

This article examines how traditional knowledge (TK) would be effectively incorporated into regulations for the exploitation of mineral resources in the International Seabed Area (Exploitation Regulations). It first synthesizes references to TK within international law and instruments, highlighting its relevance to deep-sea mining (DSM) by defining its four core elements (subject, time, content, context) and demonstrating its value in filling scientific data gaps and informing environmental decision-making. Building on this foundation, the article analyzes the current status of TK in the Exploitation Regulations, revealing its fragmented and non-binding inclusion, and identifies three incorporation challenges: definitional absence, lack of systematic implementation mechanisms and epistemic tensions with scientific paradigms. To address these challenges, it proposes a structured framework of recommendations: 1) establishing a TK identification system; 2) developing implementation mechanisms for TK guided by “use as the priority, with protection as the secondary” principle; 3) establishing a four-step integration model to synergize TK and science. The article contributes by proposing a systematic framework for TK identification and incorporation, elevating it from an ancillary information source to a governance resource on par with science in the Exploitation Regulations, providing a viable way for ecologically resilient DSM governance.