The Past, Present and Future of Ocean Governance: Snapshots from Fisheries, Area-Based Management Tools and International Seabed Mineral Resources

Abstract

Ocean governance comprises the law of the sea as well as all related policy and normative dimensions that relate to the regulation of human activity at sea and increasingly places a strong focus on marine environmental protection and the conservation of marine resources, with the aim of ensuring a healthy and productive ocean while sustaining a resilient ocean-based economy. Premised on this observation, this chapter aims to reflect on the past, present and future of ocean governance using three case studies as snapshot examples, namely, fisheries at sea, marine area-based management tools and international seabed mineral resources. Put together, these three case studies will demonstrate how the law of the sea has evolved when considered from the dimension of ocean governance, particularly with respect to the challenge of protecting and preserving the marine environment through the sustainable use of marine resources.