Preserving Community Interests In Ocean Governance Towards Sustainability

This Special Issue is designed to discuss and examine relevant legal issues concerning ocean governance in the context of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) for the long-lasting benefits of the international community. It will cover, inter alia, the safety of navigation and maritime security, the sustainable use of marine resources (living and non-living), marine environmental protection, climate change, and marine scientific research.

References to community interests appear from time to time in scholarly writings in the field of international relations and international law. The concept of community interests refers to interests protected by international law binding either all or a group of states and go beyond the delimitation of a sovereign sphere of influence. In the literature, there are existing examples of research, such as in books and journal articles, that consider the various manifestations of what has been described as "community interests" in many areas regulated by international law, including natural resources, global markets, human rights, and the use of force, and observe how law has evolved from a legal system based on more or less specific consent and aimed at promoting the particular interests of states, to one that is more generally oriented towards collectively protecting common interests and values. However, this topic has not been thoroughly researched, meaning that there is a huge gap in the existing literature, particularly in the context of ocean governance and sustainability. This Special Issue attempts to fill this gap, so as to attract more studies on this important topic in academia.

'This book is recommended for anyone wanting to quickly get up to speed with oceans governance, bearing in mind at this stage it is an immature and quickly developing field. The strength of the book is that it is grounded in real-world examples from four case study countries and in this context at the very least exposes the reader to emergent oceans governance and policy issues. . . an excellent starting point for further analysis of oceans governance and sets up a research agenda for the future.' - Murray Patterson, Journal of Ecological Economics

In Sustainable Ocean Resource Governance an international group of eminent authors offer perspectives on the legal interface between sustainable economic growth, effective marine resource management and urgent environmental protection of the sea by addressing three key issues: deep sea mining, marine energy generation, and seabed pipeline and cable systems. In light of the sectoral nature of current ocean governance and the existing patchwork of management arrangements for the oceans, this book gives insights in search for a coherent and consistent sustainability approach.

"Freedom for the Seas in the 21st Century" brings together leading international experts on marine policy to address current threats to the health of the seas and to offer new approaches to the challenge of protecting our marine environment. The paradigm presented is one of ocean governance rather than of law or policy; it challenges the prevailing concept of "freedom of the seas" and calls instead for a governing notion of "freedom for the seas" where the primary goal is the protection of ecological vitality.Topics covered include: strategies for controlling ocean pollution regulation of high-seas fishing defects in current deep seabed mining regulatory provisions threats to the marine environment posed by military activities

Comparative Ocean Governance examines the world's attempts to improve ocean governance through place-based management—marine protected areas, ocean zoning, marine spatial planning—and evaluates this growing trend in light of the advent of climate change and its impacts on the seas. This monograph opens with an explanation of the economics of the oceans and their value to the global environment and the earth's population, the long-term stressors that have impacted oceans, and the new threats to ocean sustainability that climate change poses. It then examines the international framework for ocean management and coastal nations' increasing adoption of place-based governance regimes. The final section explores how these place-based management regimes intersect with climate change adaptation efforts, either accidentally or intentionally. It then offers suggestions for making place-based marine management even more flexible and responsive for the future. Environmental law scholars, legislators and policymakers, marine scientists, and all those concerned for the welfare of the world's oceans will find this book of great value.

Australia and Canada have been at the forefront of efforts to operationalize integrated oceans and coastal management. Throughout the 1990s both countries devoted considerable effort to developing strategies to give effect to international ocean management obligations. This key book focuses on principles of marine environmental conservation and management, maritime regulation and enforcement, and regional maritime planning and implementation. With contributions from respected scholars, this informative book collectively assesses the obligations, compliance, implementation and trends in international ocean law, particularly in giving effect to an Oceans Policy, regional maritime planning, international oceans governance, and maritime security. This book will be of interest to all academics involved with maritime studies and international law.

This Open Access book on Ocean Governance examines sustainability challenges facing our oceans today. The book is organized into three sections: knowledge systems, policy foundations and thematic analyses. The knowledge produced in the book was catalyzed by the scientific outcomes within the European-funded Cooperation in Science and Technology (COST) network “Ocean Governance for Sustainability – Challenges, Options and the Role of Science”. This network brings together scientists, policy-makers and civil society representatives from 28 nation states to cooperate on ocean governance research. This book offers a compilation of new research material including focused case studies, broad policy syntheses and reflective chapters on the history and current status of knowledge production systems on ocean governance. New research material is presented, although some chapters draw on secondary sources. The book starts with synthetic review chapters from the editors, outlining past and present knowledge systems, addressing how and why ocean governance for sustainability is where it currently stands with critical reflections on existing narratives, path dependencies and colonialist histories. This is followed by chapters addressing, synthesizing and analyzing different legal and policy frameworks for ocean governance both regionally and internationally. At the core of the book are the thematic analyses, which provide focused case studies with detailed contextual information in support of different ocean governance challenges and sustainability pathways around the world. The book concludes with a chapter explicitly targeting students, researchers and policy-makers with key take-away messages compiled by the editors.

The 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) remains the cornerstone of global ocean governance. However, it lacks effective provisions or mechanisms to ensure that all ocean space and related problems are dealt with holistically. With seemingly no opportunity for revision due to the Conventions burdensome amendment provisions, complementary mechanisms dealing with such aspects of global ocean governance including maritime transport, fisheries, and marine environmental sustainability, have been developed under the aegis of the United Nations and other relevant international organizations. This approach is inherently fragmented and unable to achieve sustainable global ocean governance. In light of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly Goal 14, the IMLI Treatise proposes a new paradigm on the basis of integrated and cross-sectoral approach in order to realise a more effective and sustainable governance regime for the oceans. This volume focuses on the role of the UN Specialized Agencies towards the development of effective and sustainable ocean governance by looking at the more elaborate mechanisms they developed in order to achieve the desired objectives laid down in UNCLOS. From FAO to UNODC, the volume examines how they ensure sustainable development and how much coordination exists among them.