A sea change : the exclusive economic zone and governance institutions for living marine resources

A Sea Change in a Changing Sea The oceans, seas and coastal areas encompass over 70% of the earth’s surface. They are a critical driver of the earth’s hydrologic cycle and climate system, important for c- merce, transport, and tourism, a source of economically important living marine resources, minerals such as hydrocarbons, as well as new pharmaceutical compounds. The marine environment provides essential habitats for thousands of marine living 1 2 resources, which in turn contribute significantly to global food security, employment, 3 and trade. Overall, the sea’s contribution to human welfare, in terms of market and non-market resources and environmental services, has been estimated at US$21 trillion/year (Costanza, 2000). However, despite the importance of the ocean realm to humans, there is a growing sense that human impacts are destabilizing this system. Some experts believe that current fishing levels are approaching or exceeding the total 4 productivity of the ocean ecosystem (National Research Council, 1999).

With growing concern about the oceans and the resources of this realm has come a proliferation of international and national efforts aimed at protecting this environment. This volume constitutes the initial effort to reflect on the outcomes associated with the third Law of the Sea Conference and to assess how the reforms and changes brought on by this conference have performed.

The establishment of 200-mile Exclusive Economic Zones (EEZ’s) constitutes one of the most far-reaching distributional and institutional changes in the history of the world. They brought over 20 % of the world’s oceans, a substantial proportion of its productivity, and 90 to 95 % of world fisheries under the national jurisdiction of coastal states. At this time, 145 states have ratified the Law of the Sea Convention and most have established EEZs. Some have established only a legal framework, while other countries have elaborated EEZ regimes. This volume focuses on the specific nature of the EEZ and the construction and evolution of institutions stemming from its introduction, specifically examining developments at local, national and international levels.

The analytical core of the volume focuses on the development of institutional arrangements for the management of living marine resources, occurring at different levels of social organization, that have developed from the introduction of the EEZs. The chapters cover case studies from both the north and south, in the Pacific and the Atlantic Oceans. The case studies critically examine the impact of the EEZ regime on institutions at local, national, regional and international levels of social organization. The broad range of contributions by the authors highlights the diversity of institutions and outcomes that have emerged from the implementation of the EEZs, providing a rich opportunity for comparative analysis. By doing so, we seek to address three broad questions:

-What is the nature of the institutions that coastal states have created within the framework provided by the EEZs?
-How has the creation of the EEZs affected the vertical interplay among institutions at different levels of social organisation (i.e., international, national, traditional and co-management regimes) and the horizontal interplay among institutions focused on different functional arenas (i.e., trade, environment and fisheries)?
-How has the development of EEZ-based regimes affected the fit of marine resource management institutions with biophysical systems?

"The analytical core of this volume focuses on the development of institutional arrangements for the management of living marine resources, occurring at different levels of social organization, that have developed from the introduction of the EEZs. The chapters cover case studies from both the north and south, in the Pacific and the Atlantic Oceans. The case studies critically examine the impact of the EEZ regime on institutions at local, national, regional and international levels of social organization. The broad range of contributions by the authors highlights the diversity of institutions and outcomes that have emerged from the implementation of the EEZs, providing a rich opportunity for comparative analysis. By doing so, we seek to address three broad questions: what is the nature of the institutions that coastal states have created within the framework provided by the EEZs?; how has the creation of the EEZs affected the vertical interplay among institutions at different levels of social organization (i.e., international, national, traditional and co-management regimes) and the horizontal interplay among institutions focused on different functional arenas (i.e., trade, environment and fisheries)?; and how has the development of EEZ-based regimes affected the fit of marine resource management institutions with biophysical systems?" "This edited volume is important reading for policy-makers, practitioners and scholars involved in these endeavors as well as those in the fields of international relations, marine resource management, global environmental governance, and more generally, institutions and organizations."--BOOK JACKET Ocean Governance and Institutional Change....Pages 3-16 A Brief Introduction to the Principal Provisions of the International Legal Regime Governing Fisheries in the EEZ....Pages 17-30 The Performance of Exclusive Economic Zones....Pages 33-48 Fisheries Management in the Russian Federation....Pages 49-63 Integrated Oceans Management and the Institutional Performance of Exclusive Economic Zones....Pages 64-77 The Impact of the EEZ on Pacific Salmon Management....Pages 78-99 Regulating Access and the Use of Marine Genetic Resources within the Exclusive Economic Zone....Pages 100-114 Regional Fisheries Organisations and International Fisheries Governance....Pages 117-135 Exclusive Economic Zones and the Management of Fisheries in the South China Sea....Pages 136-149 Staking Their Claims: The Management of Marine Resources in the Exclusive Economic Zones of the Pacific Islands....Pages 150-166 FAO’S Fisheries Programme and the Plan of Implementation of the World Summit on Sustainable Development....Pages 169-193 Governing the Bering Sea Region....Pages 194-209 Changing Seas, Changing Institutions: Charting New Courses into the Future....Pages 210-220 This is the first systematic assessment of the international 200-mile exclusive economic zone. To date, 145 states have ratified the Law of the Sea Convention, and most have established EEZs. This volume focuses on the specific nature of the EEZ and the construction and evolution of institutions stemming from its introduction, specifically examining developments at local, national and international levels. The extension of coastal state jurisdiction, culminating with the widespread establishment of 200-mile Exclusive Economic Zones (EEZs) is one of the most far-reaching institutional changes in the international society of the twentieth century.