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.

This wholly new edition of the Handbook provides an authoritative examination of international law relating to the protection of the marine environment. Chapters critically engage with current legal issues surrounding activities that harm the marine environment, including marine pollution, seabed activities, exploitation of marine biodiversity and climate change, and with the different legal tools and mechanisms, including environmental impact assessments and compliance and dispute settlement mechanisms, used to protect the marine environment. New chapters also address legal issues relating to the role of technology and marine scientific research as well as the application of principles such as public participation. This title contains one or more Open Access chapters.

The number of global instruments affecting the law of marine environmental protection--both `soft' and `hard' law--grows constantly. Regional organizations have become increasingly concerned with matters affecting traditional freedoms of the seas. As a result, the law in this area has rapidly expanded, often creating competing or conflicting rules. Competing Norms in the Law of Marine Environmental Protection contains edited versions of the papers presented at a conference in the andÅland Islands, Finland, in August 1996, convened by the Department of Law of andÅbo Akademi University, Finland. It provides a detailed examination of current legal issues relating to the variety of rules and rule-makers in the field of marine environmental protection. It then goes further, relating the recent developments to international law in a wider context. The legal regime regulating ship safety and pollution prevention provides an excellent illustration of contemporary trends of international law in general and of the law of the sea and international environmental law in particular.

This volume deals with institutions, implementation and innovations in the field of international marine environmental law. It discusses some controversial legal aspects of the marine environment in the context of UNCLOS, as a framework for national, regional and global action in the marine sector. The purpose of this work is to faithfully report scientific expertise, legal insight and policy wisdom presented by the speakers and participants at the Conference. The book identifies major aspects of the current situation and possible future developments in a critical way. Among the key issues covered are implementation and enforcement of environmental conventions; the avoidance, prevention and settlement of disputes; and, liability and compensation for environmental damage. Also included are several articles which discuss the role of the main institutions in this field within the UN system. This volume is based on contributions made at the International Conference on Marine Environmental Law (ICMEL), held by the GAUSS Institute in Bremen, Germany. There is a companion website, specially created to work alongside the texts. A selected bibliography, documents, conventions and links connected to the contents of the book are included to provide an updated and comprehensive resource for the reader: www.andreekirchner.de/imel

Marine Environmental Governance: From International Law to Local Practice considers the relationship between international environmental law and community-based management of marine areas. Focusing on small island states, in which indigenous populations have to a large extent continued to maintain traditional lifestyles, this book takes up the question of how indigenous customary law and state-based legislation can be reconciled in the implementation of international environmental law. Including a range of case studies, as well as detailed comparative analysis, it pursues an interdisciplinary approach to legal pluralism 'in practice' that will be of considerable interest to environmental lawyers, legal anthropologists, conservation biologists and those working in the area of community-based conservation.

This textbook provides the reader with a foundation in policy development and analysis and describes how policy, including legal mechanisms, is applied to marine environments around the world. It offers a systematic treatment of all aspects of marine policy, including environmental protection, fisheries, transportation, energy, mining and climate change. It starts with a biophysical overview of the structure and function of the marine environment with a particular emphasis on the challenges and opportunities of managing the marine environment. An overview of the creation and function of international law is then provided with a focus on international marine law. It explores the geographic and jurisdictional dimensions of marine policy, as well the current and anticipated challenges facing marine systems, including climate change-related impacts and resource over-exploitation. The book should appeal to senior undergraduate and graduate students and form a core part of the curriculum for marine affairs, science and policy courses. It will also provide supplementary reading for students taking a course in the law of the oceans, but is not aimed at legal specialists.

This collection of essays commemorates the Thirtieth Anniversary of the 1972 Stockholm Declaration on the Human Environment. The opening presentation is by the distinguished former Foreign Minister of Sweden, Dr. Hans Blix, a primary author of the Stockholm Declaration. A second keynote abstract is by Professor Bjorn Lomborg, the renowned author of The Skeptical Environmentalist. The third keynote essay is by the United Nations Under Secretary-General of Legal Affairs, Hans Correl. The remainder of the volume includes contributions by six judges from the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea, the Secretary-General of the International Seabed Authority, senior representatives from the Food and Agriculture Organization, International Maritime Organization, World Bank, Swedish Foreign Ministry and United States Department of State along with 25 professors and environmental law experts from 15 countries. The collection provides a comprehensive, in-depth review of the historic achievement as well as current relevance of the 1972 Stockholm Declaration as a landmark achievement in international environmental law.

This collection of essays commemorates the Thirtieth Anniversary of the 1972 Stockholm Declaration on the Human Environment. The opening presentation is by the distinguished former Foreign Minister of Sweden, Dr. Hans Blix, a primary author of the Stockholm Declaration. A second keynote abstract is by Professor Bjorn Lomborg, the renowned author of The Skeptical Environmentalist. The third keynote essay is by the United Nations Under Secretary-General of Legal Affairs, Hans Correl. The remainder of the volume includes contributions by six judges from the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea, the Secretary-General of the International Seabed Authority, senior representatives from the Food and Agriculture Organization, International Maritime Organization, World Bank, Swedish Foreign Ministry and United States Department of State along with 25 professors and environmental law experts from 15 countries. The collection provides a comprehensive, in-depth review of the historic achievement as well as current relevance of the 1972 Stockholm Declaration as a landmark achievement in international environmental law.