5.c. Oceans present hazardous obstacles to human activities Flashcards
Explain how containerisation has impacted marine technology and transport revolution
- increase in ship size and port facilities has been exponential
- containerisation has significantly reduced costs and eliminated ‘loose cargo’. Often moved by one ship (economies of scale where production growns and costs reduce)
- transport time has reduced (due to canals) and machines at ports
- IT tracks every container
- essential goods such as oil, minerals and food largest tankers carry 3 million barrels
- Shanghai- busieat by total tonnage, Singapore busiest trans-shipment port
- increased the inter connectivity of the world
Explain submarine cables as part of marine technology
- late 19th century- telegraph
- early 20th century- world wide
- telephone cables laid in 1950s
- today, fibre optic in place
- to mitigate erros, many cables lay down at once
- last two decades - Asia Pacific increased prevalence
- interest in Japan UK cable under the Arctic
Why does migration take place
- due to push and pull factors
- push- war, conflict, unemployment, shortage of food
- pull- better quality of life, employment opportunities, political stability
Example of migration- Middle East
- economic reasons
- in areas of conflict e.g. the Middle East and parts of Africa, political and religious persecution leads desperate individuals to flee, risking their lives in difficult ocean crossings
- conflict zones has increased migration from Syria, Afghanistan, Etriea
Smugglers and migration
Smuggling includes human trafficking and explotation. Economic gain for traffickers has increased prevalance
Risks for migrants when using ocean as route
- poor boat conditions
- weather and climate- tides/currents drag boats off course
- South east asian seas have issues
- trafficking happens
- overcrowding
- limited food and water
- migrants can be sent back
What is piracy
the act of boarding any vessel with intent to commit theft or any other crime, and with an intent to use force in futherance of that act
Why has there been a rise in piracy
-this is because the rise in transcontinental shipping associated with globalisation means a rise in piracy- this has occured recently
Which areas experience the most piracy
- Western Indian Ocean and Southeast Asia
- in Southeast Asia, the Malacca and Singapore straits are maritime ‘choke points’, adding to the vulnerability of shipping
- Gulf of Guinea is another main location for piracy
What does modern day piracy involve
-the crew or tourists being held for ransom
How does the weather link to piracy
- in the Western Indian ocean there is a clear seasonal pattern to attacks
- monsoon seasons and in the summer register fewer incidents
- stronger winds of the monsoons create rough sea conditions
- pirates adapt and use smaller boats which are hard to operate and difficult to control in stormy conditions
How has the EU, NATO, the USA and other countries e.g. China and Russia, responded to piracy
- the threat posed by the sharp increase in attacks has resulted in international action
- these countries/organisations patrol the most vulnerable areas
- attacks in Indian Ocean have reduced in the past few years due to military survelliance- military deterrence stepped up in Gulf of guinea as ‘petro piracy’ has been increased
Why are the reasons behind piracy complex
- because it is related to the relative poverty of countries but also dsyfunctional government
- piracy has links to organised crime networks and loss of traditional fishing areas
What are the profits of piracy
-channeled through various economic systems e.g. land
What efforts are being made in response to piracy
- help government function more effectively
- offer training opportunities to younger men to divert them from criminal activities
