Topics in Oceans Law
Arctic Conflicts, Claims and Climate Change
The Arctic Ocean is subject to increasing pressure. Oil exploration and drilling in the Bering Sea pose a threat to right whales from seismic surveys.
And the loss of ice from climate change is causing conficting claims both on and under the sea.
Russian submariners in early August planted a flag on the seabed on the Lomonosov Ridge.
As climate change further reduces sea ice in the Arctic region, the Arctic Ocean is showing signs of increasingly being the focus of competing claims, both to claims of the rights of navigation and over resources in the area, including particularly oil and gas. Just as climate change is causing loss of sea ice, threats to polar bears and other wildlife and food and security issues to indigenous inhabitants, climate change is bringing conflict over sovereignty and legal access to the Arctic. International disputes include disputes over maritime access through the Northwest Passage and the recently escalated dispute over the Lomonosov Ridge, which bisects the Arctic Sea, and to which Russia and Denmark have signalled claims.
Read more in an html paper here or a pdf version here.
Can we have a Madrid Protocol for the Arctic? See Remi's blog comments. Read about current arctic governance and law in an IUCN paper.
Vulnerable Marine Areas and High Seas Bottom Trawling
Deep-sea bottom trawl fishing vessels drag nets with steel plates and heavy rollers across the seabed, damaging cold water coral such as lophelia and other vulnerable marine ecosystems. The Deep Sea Conservation Coalition, an alliance of over 50 NGOs, is working to protect seamounts, cold-water corals and vulnerable deep-sea ecosystems.
See more discussion of developments here.
Developments on Oceans Governance
The latest developments in oceans governance are discussed here.
Current developments in whales management, IWC governance and IWC reform are discussed here.
Proposals to dump iron filings in the ocean to stimulate plankton growth are discussed here.
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