Ocean case studies Flashcards
What is CITES?
An international agreement signed by 183 countries. Approximately 5,800 animals and 30,000 species are protected. Theses are split into 3 different Appendix’s’. Appendix 1 is specie threatened by extinction. Appendix 2 requires trades to be controlled so a species doesn’t become at risk. And Appendix 3 is species which are protected by at least 1 country.
What is containerisation?
Standardised way of shipping through loading products in containers. They are mechanised so that they take less time to load and unload compared to traditional ways of loading them, which used to take 12 hours to both load and 12 hours to unload the container ships. Port labour productivity has increased as a result by 28%.
Why has there been a reduction in shipping?
- Inflation and cost of living crisis means there’s less disposable income
- Choke points - for example the Suez canal means shipping routes are often congested which increases rates of arrival for products being shipped.
- Covid - There’s less of s demand for products which links in with disposable income
Oil spills - Exxon Valdez
Oil spill in Alaska. It took 10 days for a clean up crew to even arrive and 25 years later populations of species still hadn’t returned as oil chemicals were still in the waters.
How are oil spills managed against today?
- Oil tankers are double hulled.
- Tanker flushing into docks in banned
The management has allowed the amount of oil spills in a decade period to half due to better practices.
Piracy - Somalia
Political - No government control and there’s a civil war occurring which means citizens can basically do what they want.
Socio-economic - Somalia has the largest coastline/EEZ in Africa this means they have great accessibility to the ocean. Foreign shipping vessels however did take Somalia’s fishing stocks therefore had to turn to piracy to earn more income.
Economic - Profit margins for piracy are 30%. 30% goes to investors, 10% to dock workers and the rest goes to the crew. They hijack the ships and ask for ransom money.
Management of piracy
- NATO - provide miliary access within 10 minutes of a ship raising its alarm
- Security measures such as fire hoses, boat traps and optical laser distracters
Is the Management of piracy Successful?
Piracy attacks have decreased from 679 in 2011 to 306 in 2015.
The Mediterranean crisis
49% of migrants into the UK in 2015 were Syrian and 21% were Afghani. In 2021 there was a ban on women’s rights for education which meant people were trying to migrate for a better quality of life. People pay $2000 per adult and $1000 per child for people to smuggle them into other countries.
