//2.c. Governing the oceans poses issues for the management of resources

Question 1

What is the ‘Tragedy of the commons’ and why is it important

Answer 1

• in 1968 Garrett Hardin published this article
• he argued that when a resource is seen as belonging to all, tension exists between the interests of everyone (the common good) and self interests. These resources are known as the global commons
• because of current pressure on scarce resources, the concept of the global commons us being contested
• pressure to maintain the right of all people to sustainable development and need to protect the global commons

Question 2

What is the global commons

Answer 2

This refers to resource domains or areas that lie outside the political reach of any one nation state. The main concept is that the following are available for the use and benefit of all people:

• the high seas (covered by UN Convention on the Law of the Sea)
• the atmosphere (covered by UN FRamework Convention on Climate Change)
• Antarctica (covered by Antarctic Treaty System)
• outer space (covered by the 1979 Moon treaty)

Question 3

What is the global commons- exploitation of ocean resources

Answer 3

the exploitation of ocean resources is an example of the ‘tragedy of the commons’, where people exploit a resource without considering their impact on it. The advantage to the individual is greater than its cost because the cost is shared among many

Question 4

What is the role of UNCLOS

Answer 4

• this is an international agreement that attempts to define the rights and responsibilities of countries with regard to the coastal zone and beyond
• most countries have signed the convention

Question 5

Ocean management zone according to UNCLOS- territorial waters

Answer 5

• country has complete control over all activities

- 1-3 nautical miles

Question 6

Ocean management zone according to UNCLOS- contagious zone

Answer 6

• country has unimpeded access for vessels from any country
• country has legal rights
• 3-12 nautical miles

Question 7

Ocean management zone according to UNCLOS- EEZ and EFZ

Answer 7

• country has right to seabed but sharing allowed
• all countries have access rights by boat and plane
• 12-200 nautical miles

Question 8

Ocean management zone according to UNCLOS- high seas

Answer 8

• outside the rights of any country but some international agreements apply
• 200 nautical miles

Question 9

Disputes and difficulties with the implementation of UNCLOS

Answer 9

• exact boundaries are disputed as countries try to maximise their rights
• many countries have separate treaties with each other that they prioritise over UNCLOS. This can create other issues such as waste management and fishing
• ocean acidification, bio-prospecting, deep ocean fishing, high seas, marine reserve establishment and the lack of under water noise regulation are not covered by UNCLOS

Question 10

International organisations- International Sea bed Authority

Answer 10

• created by the UN
• oversees the exploitation of sea bed resources
• manage and monitor seabed-deep sea mining, deep sea fishing, tailings

Question 11

International organisations- International Whaling commission

Answer 11

• founded in 1946
• 88 member countries
• in 1986, there was an international ban on commercial whaling however cultural exceptions include Iniut culture
• issues such as pollution, discarded fishing nets and being struck by a boat are issues

Question 12

What are marine reserves

Answer 12

• equivalent to national parks
• intend to protect marine habitats and ecosystems
• some marine locations have unique biological, geological, historic and cultural features
• they are important for current and future generations
• they help to increase the ocean’s resilience to climate change e.g. rising temoerature

Question 13

Marine reserves- facts/figures

Answer 13

• in 2010, the International Convention in Biological Diversity established 10% of oceans as marine reserves (currently 3%)
• the UK has 207 Marine Protected Areas
• they serve different purposes e.g. Lundy Island near Bristol is a No Take zone
• the UK has a large number of foreign overseases Territories

Question 14

Chagas Marine Reserve

Answer 14

• the Chagos Archipelago located in the middle of the Indian ocean
• 2010- designated as a ‘no take’marine reserve, covering more than 640,000 km²
• within the reserve are tropical islands, coral reefs, ocean trenches, abyssal plains and seamounts
• although the Chagos coral reefs have been damaged by the effects of global warming, the human impact is small so have recovered- the reefs are healthy
• marine species benefiting from porection are fish and turtules
• habitat recovery includes removal of coconut trees