International Marine Environmental Law and Policy

Several disturbing issues pose a threat to the marine environment and its wellbeing, among them marine environmental pollution and degradation of marine biodiversity. Most troubling is that these issues are overwhelmingly caused by human activities which are sometimes transboundary, and their consequences will become more severe and complicated if not properly curbed. Thus, these activities require comprehensive policies, laws, and principles to manage them effectively. Linked to these solutions is the need for responsibilities, cooperation and commitments at local, national, regional and international levels.

Contemporary Marine Environmental Law and Policy presents a thorough appraisal of the main issues, actors and institutions engaged in the legal aspects of marine environmental conservation. With contributions from an international range of authors, the book provides a concise account of the legal and policy framework underlying international marine environmental issues, and of the fundamental concepts and strategies that are important to the protection of the marine environment. Some of the topics explored include: the prevention of marine pollution caused by land based activities, ships, and offshore hydrocarbon and mineral resources exploration; the conservation and management of marine living resources; the marine environment in the polar regions; and the settlement of marine environmental disputes.

This book provides a solid foundation for anyone studying International Environmental Law and the Law of the Sea. It will also appeal to anyone seeking to gain a deeper understanding of this hugely important subject.

Notes on the contributors

Acknowledgements

PART I

Introduction and general framework for the international marine environmental law

1 Contemporary issues in the protection and conservation of the marine environment: an overview

Sandya Nishanthi Gunasekara and Md Saiful Karim

2 Ocean governance and marine environmental conservation: concepts, principles and institutions

Abul Hasanat and Md Saiful Karim

PART II

Prevention of marine pollution

3 Prevention, reduction and control of marine pollution from land-based sources and activities

Daud Hassan and Stan Palassis

4 Prevention, reduction and control of marine pollution from ships

Mahatab Uddin and Md Saiful Karim

5 Control and prevention of marine pollution from offshore hydrocarbon and mineral resources exploration and production activities

Hossein Esmaeili

6 Climate change, ocean acidification and the marine environment: challenges for the international legal regime

Tavis Potts

7 Marine spatial planning and the new frontiers of marine governance

Niko Soininen and Daud Hassan

PART III

Conservation and management of marine living resources

8 Conservation of marine living resources and fisheries management

Daud Hassan and Emdadul Haque

9 Marine protected areas: contemporary challenges and developments

Erika Techera

10 Recognition of Indigenous rights in governance of marine protected areas: applying international law and Australian experiences

Donna Craig

PART IV

Polar regions

11 Protection of the Antarctic marine environment: dimensions, relationships and fields

Tuomas Kuokkanen

12 Protection of the arctic marine environment

Timo Koivurova and Nengye Liu

PART V

Settlement of disputes and conclusions 223

13 Contemporary marine environmental disputes

Daud Hassan and Beatriz Garcia

14 Future of international marine environmental law and policy: concluding remarks

Daud Hassan and Asraful Alam

Index

Daud Hassan is the Director of International Centre for Ocean Governance (ICOG), Western Sydney University, Australia.

Md Saiful Karim is the Director International at the School of Law, Queensland University of Technology, Australia.