This volume covers a variety of topics in the fields of the law of the sea and the protection of the environment. The particular focus of the volume is on the role and function of judicial, quasi-judicial and administrative institutions in the prevention and settlement of disputes in both of these areas. This includes an overview and insightful analysis of the cases of the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea during its first decade. Further substantive issues range from the allocation of shared marine resources, maritime boundary delimitation and issues of maritime security to the prevention of marine pollution as well as a coverage of the compliance and enforcement mechanisms of international environmental law. The views from both scholars' and practitioners' perspectives presented in this volume will offer readers a number of outstanding intellectual synergies to reflect on the development of international law. It can provide both scholars and policy-makers alike with new insights on how to address pressing problems in international law, including ideas for improved institutional design. The work has been compiled in honour of Thomas A. Mensah and comprises 59 essays from leading scholars and practitioners in international law.

Characterizing the seabed : a geoscience perspective / Alvar Braathen and Harald Brekke -- Deep-sea ecosystems : biodiversity and anthropogenic impacts / Eva Ramirez-Llodra -- A short human history of the ocean floor / Håkon With Andersen -- Setting maritime limits and boundaries : experiences from Norway / Harald Brekke -- The seabed in the high north : how to address conflicts? / Alexander S. Skaridov -- Current human impact on Antarctic seabed environment and international law / Y.E. Brazovskaya and G.F. Ruchkina -- Commercial mining activities in the deep seabed beyond national jurisdiction : the international legal framework / Joanna Dingwall -- Framework legislation for commercial activities in the area / Erik Røsæg -- Maritime security and deep seabed beyond national jurisdiction / Edwin Egede -- The rights to genetic resources beyond national jurisdiction : challenges for the ongoing negotiations at the United Nations / Tullio Scovazzi -- Marine genetic resources : a practical legal approach to stimulate research, conservation and benefit sharing / Morten Walløe Tvedt -- Deep-sea bottom fisheries and the protection of seabed ecosystems : problems, progress and prospects / Richard Caddell -- Review of national legislations applicable to seabed mineral resources exploitation / Saul Roux and Catherine Horsfield -- European Union law and the seabed / Finn Arnesen, Rosa Greaves, and Alla Pozdnakova -- China's domestic law on the exploration and development of resources in deep seabed areas / Chelsea Zhaoxi Chen -- Implementation of article 82 of the United Nations Convention on the law of the sea : the challenge for Canada / Aldo Chircop -- The use of sub-seabed transboundary geological formations for the disposal of carbon dioxide / Nigel Bankes -- Decommissioning of offshore installations : a fragmented and ineffective international regulatory framework / Seline Trevisanut -- Re-using (nearly) depleted oil and gas fields in the North Sea for CO2 storage : seizing or missing a window of opportunity? / Martha M. Roggenkamp -- International investment law and the regulation of the seabed / James Harrison -- Navigating legal barriers to mortgaging energy installations at sea : the case of the North Sea and the Netherlands / Jaap J.A. Waverijn -- Crossing the sectoral divide : modern environmental law tools for addressing conflicting uses on the seabed / Rosemary Rayfuse -- Commercial arrangements and liability for crossing pipelines, power cables and telecom cables (connectors) on the seabed / Lars Olav Askheim -- Balancing competing interests when building marine energy infrastructures : the case of the nord stream pipelines / David Langlet -- Liability and compensation for activities in the area / Kristoffer Svendsen.

The oceans cover more than seventy per cent of the surface of the planet and they provide many vital ecosystem services. However, the health of the world's oceans has been deteriorating over the past decades and the protection of the marine environment has emerged as one of the most pressing legal and political challenges for the international community. An effective solution depends upon the cooperation of all states towards achieving agreed objectives. This book provides a critical assessment of the role that international law plays in this process, by explaining and evaluating the various legal instruments that have been negotiated in this area, as well as key trends in global ocean governance. Starting with a detailed analysis of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, the book considers the main treaties and other legal texts that seeks to prevent, reduce, and control damage to the marine environment caused by navigation, seabed exploitation, fishing, dumping, and land-based activities, as well as emerging pressures such as ocean noise and climate change. The book demonstrates how international institutions have expanded their mandates to address a broader range of marine environmental issues, beyond basic problems of pollution control to include the conservation of marine biological diversity and an ecosystems approach to regulation. It also discusses the development of diverse regulatory tools to address anthropogenic impacts on the marine environment and the extent to which states have adopted a precautionary approach in different maritime sectors. Whilst many advances have been made in these matters, this book highlights the need for greater coordination between international institutions, as well as the desirability of developing stronger enforcement mechanisms for international environmental rules.

The climate and other characteristics of the polar regions have been major factors in shaping the legal regime applicable to the polar oceans. In Antarctica, states have had to grapple with the question of how to account for developments in the Law of the Sea, while preserving the compromise over sovereignty contained in the Antarctic Treaty. The Arctic also has presented challenges for the Law of the Sea, as illustrated by the continued attention given to special rules for polar shipping. The 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea has led to substantial agreement on the legal regime of ocean spaces. The present volume explores the impact the Convention has had on the polar regions in this respect, including after its entry into force in 1994. To this end, it looks at a number of issue areas in the field of maritime delimitation (baselines, maritime zones, delimitation of maritime zones betweenm neighboring states) and jursidiction (environmental protection, navigation and fisheries) from a bipolar perspective. It is strongly suggested that the legal regime of the polar oceans will be further elaborated to more effectively deal with existing activities or to accommodate new activities. It is likely that the United Nations Convention of the Law of the Sea will continue to provide the basic legal framework for this exercise and that states will be careful not to unravel the delicate balance contained in it.

The Law of the Sea Convention has now reached 25 years of presence in the international scene as a constitution for the oceans. It was the product of a long and arduous negotiation with a final product of delicate balance. The purpose of this book is to examine whether the basic premises and essential compromises of the Convention still hold true or whether the Convention, as a living instrument, has evolved into accommodating new needs and challenges to its regulatory scheme. The vehicle chosen is the jurisdictional interplay between the States, as flag States, coastal States and port States, and the world community at large in matters relating to navigation, fisheries, access to the biological resources of the deep seabed or even maritime security. The result confirms the solid foundations of the Convention and its ability to evolve and expand without upsetting its essential balance. A book useful to all those interested in the law of the sea and the structure of international law.

This book assesses the environmental jurisdiction of coastal states over the seabed within and beyond 200 nautical miles from the baselines, thus mapping out coastal states’ competencies to regulate activities impacting the marine environment of the sea floor. In addition, it offers revealing insights into the domestic legal and policy framework of a particular State in this regard. As Brazil intends to exploit mineral resources farther away offshore, technologically backed by the recognised expertise of its state-owned oil company, Petrobras, questions arise as to the adequacy of the country’s domestic legal framework to sustainably manage the immenseness of the “Brazilian Blue Amazon”. This book critically evaluates the compatibility of Brazil’s national policies and legislation with the Law of the Sea, as well as the country’s legal and institutional preparedness to face the challenges of managing approximately 4,5 million km2 of maritime spaces under national jurisdiction.

Explores how the law of the sea can develop in support of the objectives of the United Nations climate regime.