Conflicts and Challenges of Sustainable Fisheries Governance Cooperation under the Securitization of the Maritime Commons

Abstract

There is a growing trend towards securitization of the maritime commons, which seriously impacts sustainable fisheries governance cooperation. This impact is mainly reflected in the fact that it undermines the effectiveness of the international legal framework for sustainable fisheries governance, which is fragmented and runs based on countries’ willingness. It makes the international legal basis for sustainable fisheries governance cooperation more fragile. As a result, countries are more inclined to take the issues of sustainable fisheries governance and its sub-issues as security-related issues or tools for achieving maritime security strategies. Ultimately, it will lead to confrontation rather than cooperation in sustainable fisheries governance. Evidence that can support this theory is from combating IUU fishing, a sub-issue of sustainable fisheries governance, in the Northeast Asia Pacific and the South China Sea. From securitization theory and international law theory perspectives, desecuritization is the core of the solutions, including the desecuritization of the maritime commons and the desecuritization of its sub-issues. In practice, desecuritization includes improving the effectiveness of the international legal framework for sustainable fisheries governance and establishing regional cooperative governance mechanisms. The result will certainly help to promote sustainable fisheries governance cooperation on a regional and global scale.

A Review Article on an Appraisal of Maritime Laws as a Mechanism of Community Governance for Sustainable Development Goals

“…However, the challenges of the modern era are also of unique nature and need solutions for the savage of upcoming generations and the preservation of natural resources. An abnormal decrease in natural resources compared to the help of ancient ages is alarming for forthcoming generations, and survival would be more difficult (Luo & Chi, 2022). It would not be inaccurate to state that man is traveling toward the ways of destruction.…”

“…It would not be inaccurate to state that man is traveling toward the ways of destruction. If precautionary measures are not adopted (Ch & Gupta, 2022;Luo & Chi, 2022) the travel will be hazardous (Bateman, 2016).…”

“…Piracy, overfishing, and pollution are a few recent examples of emerging transboundary concerns transforming the high seas from an open domain regulated by the rule of freedom into a shared realm requiring new governance approaches to manage its complex global issues (Xue et al, 2021). This study explores the application of sustainable development methodology to governance issues in the socio-technical maritime awareness arena (Luo & Chi, 2022). The findings imply that what should utilize sustainable development methods to assist the creation and use of cooperative governance models, as opposed to the more conventional state-centric and sector-based approaches, which are better suited for establishing global marine domain awareness (Roe, 2013).…”