Autonomous Technology and Dynamic Obligations: Uncrewed Maritime Vehicles and the Regulation of Maritime Military Surveillance in the Exclusive Economic Zone

Author(s):  
Simon MCKENZIE

Abstract The development of uncrewed maritime vehicles [UMVs] has the potential to increase the scale of military maritime surveillance in the exclusive economic zones of foreign coastal states. This paper considers the legal implications of the expanded use of UMVs for this purpose. It shows how features of the legal regime—namely how its application depends on determining the intent of a vessel's operation (to distinguish marine scientific research from military surveillance), as well the obligation to have due regard—have a “dynamic” quality that will pose a challenge to UMVs operated by autonomous technology. The legal obligations will require equipping UMVs with the capacity to communicate something about their identity, the purpose of their mission, and to be able to have some capacity to be responsive to the economic and environmental interests of the coastal state.

2012 ◽  
Vol 27 (4) ◽  
pp. 795-803 ◽  
Author(s):  
Moritaka Hayashi

Abstract One disturbing element in an overall stable order built on the Law of the Sea Convention is the disagreement between some States over the use of the exclusive economic zone (EEZ) of a coastal State by another State for military purposes. While it appears to be generally accepted that military activities in the EEZ of another State are part of “the freedoms . . . of navigation and overflight and other internationally lawful uses of the sea related to these freedoms . . .” under Article 58(1), some States, notably China, hold an opposing view. The disagreement has led to several incidents involving forceful disturbance of activities of United States military vessels and aircraft in and above the EEZ of China. There is an urgent need for the States concerned and the international community to find a common understanding on the issue or some kind of practical arrangement for avoiding further serious incidents.


2011 ◽  
Vol 26 (3) ◽  
pp. 385-411 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cathy Suykens

AbstractThe international community and important nuclear stakeholders are making efforts to promote the further globalisation of the nuclear fuel cycle. Consequently, marine shipments of radioactive materials are ever increasing. The history of maritime carriage of these substances has been characterised by disagreements between the various stakeholders with regard to, i.e., concepts such as innocent passage as included in the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea and implementation and interpretation of the precautionary principle. The international framework governing these shipments is flawed due to its inconsistency and fragmentation, thereby passively allowing coastal nations to take unilateral action, such as blocking the shipments from their Exclusive Economic Zones and territorial waters. On the European level, modern environmental law principles are being put forward more progressively, but are not incorporated into a consistent and clear legal regime in this particular context. Overall, there are many feasible improvements, both in the short- and the long term.


2004 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
pp. 47-71 ◽  
Author(s):  
Peter H. Sand

In spite of early hopes for a “fading out” of sovereignty in the face of global environmental challenges, recent codifications of international law have confirmed the creeping national enclosure of what were once considered common assets—e.g., exclusive economic zones under the 1982 Law of the Sea Convention, or access to genetic resources from the 1983 International Undertaking via the 1992 Biodiversity Convention to the 2001 Plant Gene Treaty. Yet, because of their explicit limitation and qualification by “common interest” obligations, these expanded sovereign rights of nation states must be considered fiduciary rather than proprietary. Hence, the emerging legal regime is one of international public trusteeship (sometimes referred to as guardianship or stewardship) over a widening range of environmental resources. The article traces the evolution of the trusteeship concept in modern environmental law and its ramifications for international law and governance, as reflected in current proposals suggesting a new environmental mandate for the UN Trusteeship Council.


2021 ◽  
Vol 17 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Luh Putu Sudini ◽  
I Gusti Bagus Suryawan ◽  
Nella Hasibuan

AbstractThe research objective is to find out and understand the use of the right of immediate pursuit of foreign ships that violate the Indonesian sea territory; and know and understand the limits of Indonesia's authority in the use of the right of immediate pursuit in its territorial waters. The problem is how to use the right of immediate pursuit of foreign ships that violate Indonesia's maritime territory. And what about the limits of Indonesia's authority in the use of immediate pursuit rights in its territorial waters? The research method used is empirical legal research methods. The results of the research on the use of the right of immediate pursuit of foreign ships that violate the territorial sea of Indonesia include several things that must be considered, namely the chase must be carried out by the competent authority of the coastal State and have sufficient reasons and are convincing that the foreign ship has violated the law in waters of the jurisdiction of the coastal State. The pursuit must begin when a foreign ship or one of its partners is in inland waters, archipelagic waters, territorial seas, auxiliary routes or exclusive economic zones. The pursuit can only continue outside the territorial seas, outside the auxiliary routes or outside the exclusive economic zone if the pursuit is continuous and uninterrupted. The pursuit may only begin after giving a stop sign from a distance that the foreign ship can see or hear. The right of pursuit must be stopped as soon as the ship being chased has entered the sea of the territory of the third party. The limit of Indonesia's authority in the use of the right to immediate pursuit in its territorial waters, Indonesia can take actions, starting with a signal, for example with a sound sign or a flag signal or an optical light, not paying attention to the signal, then it may be followed by warning shots. the first shot with a blank bullet is also ignored, followed by the shot with a live bullet, provided that when shooting, the shot must be directed in front of the prow of the ship being chased. If you take a fight that endangers the patrol boat or the lives of people, balanced violence can be carried out, if possible avoiding casualties. The immediate chase is stopped if the foreign ship enters the territorial waters of another State.Key words: right of immediate pursuit; foreign ships; useAbstrakTujuan penelitian untuk mengetahui dan memahami penggunaan hak pengejaran segera terhadap kapal-kapal asing yang melanggar wilayah laut Indonesia; dan mengetahui dan memahami batas kewenangan Indonesia dalam penggunaan hak pengejaran segera di wilayah perairannya. Permasalahan yaitu bagaimana penggunaan hak pengejaran segera terhadap kapal-kapal asing yang melanggar wilayah laut Indonesia. Dan bagaimana batas kewenangan Indonesia dalam penggunaan hak pengejaran segera di wilayah perairannya. Metode penelitian yang dipergunakan metode penelitian hukum empiris. Hasil penelitian penggunaan hak pengejaran segera terhadap kapal asing yang melanggar wilayah laut Indonesia, mencakup ada beberapa hal yang harus diperhatikan, yaitu pengejaran harus dilakukan oleh pihak yang berwenang dari Negara pantai dan mempunyai alasan yang cukup serta meyakinkan bahwa kapal asing tersebut telah melakukan pelanggaran hukum di perairan yurisdiksi Negara pantai. Pengejaran itu harus dimulai ketika kapal asing atau salah satu sekocinya ada di perairan pedalaman, perairan kepulauan, laut teritorial, jalur tambahan atau zona ekonomi eksklusif. Pengejaran itu hanya dapat dilanjutkan di luar laut wilayah, di luar jalur tambahan atau di luar zona ekonomi eksklusif bila pengejaran itu terus menerus dan tidak terputus. Pengejaran hanya boleh dimulai setelah memberi suatu tanda berhenti dari suatu jarak yang dapat dilihat atau didengar oleh kapal asing tersebut. Hak pengejaran itu harus dihentikan sesaat kapal yang dikejar itu telah memasuki laut wilayah Negara pihak ketiga. Batas kewenangan Indonesia dalam penggunaan hak pengejaran segera di wilayah perairannya, Indonesia dapat melakukan tindakan-tindakan, diawali harus dilakukan dengan memberi tanda isyarat, misalnya dengan tanda suara atau isyarat bendera atau lampu optis, tidak diperhatikannya tanda isyarat, baru boleh dilanjutkan dengan tembakan peringatan, tembakan pertama dengan peluru hampa, juga tidak diindahkan dilanjutkan dengan tembakan dengan peluru tajam, dengan ketentuan bahwa waktu menembak, tembakan harus diarahkan di depan haluan kapal yang dikejar. Apabila melakukan perlawanan yang membahayakan kapal patroli atau jiwa orang, dapat dilakukan tindakan kekerasan yang seimbang, jika memungkinkan menghindari adanya korban jiwa. Pengejaran segera itu dihentikan apabila kapal asing tersebut memasuki wilayah perairan Negara lain.


2016 ◽  
Vol 22 (75) ◽  
pp. 39-68
Author(s):  
Mercedes Rosello

Abstract The conservation of fish stocks in the world’s exclusive economic zones (EEZs), which collectively harbour the vast majority of marine-living resources, is the primary responsibility of coastal States. As the effects of failures by coastal States to protect those stocks from the impacts of illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing may extend beyond domestic boundaries, this paper questions whether and how coastal States may be made accountable in respect of their regulatory deficits. With the proliferation of non-legal conduct rules to guide the regulatory role of States and their agencies, non-judicial mechanisms have the potential to foster coastal State stewardship of domestic fisheries. Outlining a number of international, transnational and domestic approaches, this paper gives consideration to the opportunities and limitations they present in order to strengthen coastal State accountability for IUU fishing control deficits.


2010 ◽  
Vol 67 (3) ◽  
pp. 534-552 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nils-Arne Ekerhovd

How would the formation, stability, and success of an agreement on cooperative management between neighbouring coastal states for a climate-sensitive fishery resource be affected by changes in the distribution and accessibility of the resource within the exclusive economic zones (EEZs)? In scenario 1, the blue whiting ( Micromesistius poutassou ) is harvestable in the EEZs of Norway, Iceland, the Faroe Islands, and the European Union (EU), as well as in the international waters of the Northeast Atlantic and the Norwegian Sea. The Barents Sea is a fringe area for the species, and there are no fisheries for blue whiting there. Hence, Russia is not regarded as a coastal state with respect to the blue whiting fishery. This severely weakens the stability of the coastal state agreement. In scenario 2, the area of distribution of the harvestable stock expands into the Russian EEZ, giving it status as a coastal state with respect to the resource and, thus, a partner in the management agreement. This secures the coastal state coalition the maximum attainable cooperative value and increases the likelihood of a stable coastal state agreement.


2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
David March ◽  
Kristian Metcalfe ◽  
Joaquin Tintoré ◽  
Brendan J. Godley

AbstractThe COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in unparalleled global impacts on human mobility. In the ocean, ship-based activities are thought to have been impacted due to severe restrictions on human movements and changes in consumption. Here, we quantify and map global change in marine traffic during the first half of 2020. There were decreases in 70.2% of Exclusive Economic Zones but changes varied spatially and temporally in alignment with confinement measures. Global declines peaked in April, with a reduction in traffic occupancy of 1.4% and decreases found across 54.8% of the sampling units. Passenger vessels presented more marked and longer lasting decreases. A regional assessment in the Western Mediterranean Sea gave further insights regarding the pace of recovery and long-term changes. Our approach provides guidance for large-scale monitoring of the progress and potential effects of COVID-19 on vessel traffic that may subsequently influence the blue economy and ocean health.


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