The Cod Wars And Today: Lessons From an Almost War

CIMSEC – Not once, but three times in the 20th Century, cod was almost the causus belli between Iceland and the United Kingdom in a string of events referred to collectively as the “Cod Wars.” The Cod Wars, taken together, make clear that issues of maritime governance and access to maritime resources can spark inter-state conflict even among allied nations. Fishing rights can be core issues that maritime states will vigorously defend.

Fight Illegal Fishing for Great Power Advantage

CIMSEC – Illegal, unregulated, and unreported (IUU) fishing costs Asia billions of dollars a year and constitutes a third of the entire regional catch. It has strong links with sea slavery and unregulated migration – the Thai fishing fleet employs 50,000 foreigners annually, often criminally underpaid and held in poor conditions – along with other criminal enterprises, such as underage prostitution. Moreover, it leads to dramatic overfishing, damaging local economies and causing serious environmental damage. All countries in the region acknowledge it is a major issue with cross-cutting impacts, yet generally lack the capabilities to manage it.

Stealth UAVs Could Give China’s Type-076 Assault Carrier More Firepower

Forbes – The Chinese Navy is building assault carriers to support amphibious operations, like a possible invasion of Taiwan or landings on disputed islands in the South China Sea. The first two ships, called LHDs (landing helicopter docks) in naval terminology, are still being outfitted. But information is already emerging suggesting that the follow-on design, the Type-076, will have much more firepower.

Make Maritime Stability Operations A Core US Coast Guard Mission Focus

CIMSEC – The following provides a re-introduction to Maritime Stability Operations, its preeminence amid the multitude of modern maritime challenges, along with why the Coast Guard — in coordination with the U.S. Department of State — must not only be the lead implementing agency but make maritime stability operations its core or priority future mission focus.

Stop Seabed Mining Now

CIMSEC – The deep sea is rapidly approaching an era reminiscent of the gold rush period of the American West, when pioneers could potentially strike it big solely by venturing out to where few others wanted to go. The risk is high, but the rewards are potentially massive – if one could get seabed mining to scale. The problem is that nobody should be mining the seabed anytime soon. The looming environmental cost is monumental, and the race for seabed resources could reinvigorate any number of maritime disputes. Is seabed mining really worth the trouble?

Stena Line ferry in Irish Sea involved in ‘near miss’ with nuclear submarine

Irish Mirror – A ferry carrying hundreds of passengers narrowly avoided smashing into a British nuclear-powered submarine killing many and sparking a maritime disaster. A ferry officer spotted the nuke sub’s periscope at the last minute and took action to avoid the collision in the Irish Sea two years ago, an investigation has discovered.

(Thanks to Alain)

Reflecting the Law of the Sea: In Defense of the Bay of Bengal’s Grey Area

CIMSEC – The UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), more than any other implement of international law, has underpinned the orderly delimitation and governance of the world’s oceans. Despite its status as an unparalleled accomplishment of diplomacy and international law, the treaty is not exhaustive or without ambiguities. One outstanding issue in delimitation arbitration is the relationship between the exclusive economic zone and continental shelf – specifically whether one state’s EEZ rights can overlap with another state’s continental shelf rights. What deserves greater attention is how recent court maritime boundary delimitations derided by some observers as legislation from the bench in fact follow the black letter of the law more closely than state practice or previous court decisions.