Australia's Northern Territory state bans seabed mining

FILE PHOTO: A beach can be seen along the coastline of Arnhem Land, east of the city of Darwin in Australia's Northern Territory July 16, 2013. REUTERS/David Gray/File Photo

MELBOURNE (Reuters) - Australia's Northern Territory declared a ban on seabed mining in its coastal waters on Friday, citing the potential impact on the environment, sacred Indigenous sites and marine industries.

The moratorium, which affects 17.5% of Australia's vast marine territory along its northern coastline, comes as soaring prices for metals like copper renew interest in new methods of resource extraction.