Australia has vested interests in the management of the Indian, Pacific and Southern Oceans. Not only do these oceans hold the key to our national security, they also have vast potential for resource and economic development. Yet problems over marine sovereignty and resources can and frequently do arise, as demonstrated by recent incidents such as disagreements over the ownership of the Spratly and Senkaku Islands in Asia, disputes between Australia and Japan over southern bluefin tuna, and arrests by RAN vessels of illegal fishing vessels off Heard Island.
As part of a region that contains some of the busiest shipping lanes in the world, Australia has both the skills and the expertise to play a major role in the management of these oceans. 'Oceans Governance' involves bringing order to the management of the world's oceans and their resources in a way which enhances cooperation rather than increases conflict, and which allows for the tradition freedoms of the seas. It requires both cooperative approaches between countries and the need for countries to determine their own national strategies for ocean management.
In this volume, twenty leading authorities in the field of oceans governance examine our diverse and sometimes conflicting interests in the oceans. Analysing scientific, economic, legal and security issues, they point to the need for appropriate infrastructures for management and use, surveillance, enforcement and control of the oceans.
'Oceans Governance and Maritime Strategy' originated from a conference held during the United Nations Year of the Ocean; the book is the result of a successful partnership between the Royal Australian Navy, Tenix Defence Systems and the Centre for Maritime Policy at the University of Wollongong.
