Unit 3.3 - Oceans - Shipping and Sea Cables

Question 1

Describe the trend of Global Trade Flows and Container Shipping.

Answer 1

• Container shipping is the backbone of global trade flows, transporting 90% of products made and sold by Multinational Corporations (MNCs).
• MNCs operate globally, making and selling commodities and financial services in various sectors.
• Despite increased shipping, the world has been ‘shrinking’.
• China’s economic growth has led to significant increases in shipping.
• Oil shipping, accounting for 30% of global maritime trade, was temporarily withdrawn due to reduced demand during the COVID pandemic.

Question 2

What negative business have emerged from globalisation of shipping?

Answer 2

Migrant Trafficking in the EU
* Majority of migrants use criminal gang services to escape poverty and persecution.
* Migrant smuggling is profitable due to Europe’s 70,000 km coastline.
* Illegal drugs, guns, and counterfeit goods enter the EU through smuggling.

Slavery at Sea
* Workers exploited in European fishing fleets, with some from West Africa receiving low wages.
* Protection of workers’ rights is challenging due to their remote location and lack of national police and social services.

Question 3

How is the world’s internet connected by the ocean?

Answer 3

The world’s internet requires fibre optic cables beneath the oceans to operate as a single system, connecting continents and enabling global sharing of information, music, and images. Since the 1990s, the internet has enabled real-time communication and social networks, with Instagram having over 1 billion users in 2020. Shifting world technologies enable electronic transfers of money and services, playing a crucial role in the world economy.

Question 4

How are sea cables at risk of damage?

Answer 4

Hazards and Landslides in Submarine Systems
* 2006 submarine earthquake and landslide destroyed Taiwan’s telecom link with the Philippines.
* 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake caused land-based telecommunications networks damage in Malaysia and South Africa.
* Seabed system builders avoid hazardous zones along the mid-Atlantic ridge.

Anchors and Trawling
* Dropped anchors often damage cables.
* Asia lost 75% of its internet capacity in 2008 due to a major internet cable severage.

Sabotage
* Cable sabotage was common during World Wars.
* Concerns growing that societies’ dependency on the internet may make undersea cables targets for terrorists.