Ocean Politics and Policy is a recent addition to the Environment part of the Contemporary World Issues series produced by ABC‐CLIO. I have reviewed other volumes in the past. They all follow a similar structure, starting with narrative chapters setting the scene, identifying the problems and suggesting solutions. These are followed by a chronology, a chapter of facts and figures, a few long quotes from key documnets, a directory of organizations and a list of print and non print resorces including databases, Internet, film and video.
In this volume the opening chapters are “Currents in ocean politics”, “Making waves – problems, controversies and solutions” and “Ocean security dilemmas”. The puns in the titles are an amusing, but minor detail of the book; of much more significance is the use of “politics” in the title and “security” in a chapter heading. They indicate the special nature of the issues concerning the oceans. Take a matter like population, which I reviewed a couple of years ago, which has world‐wide implications. The individuals and communities involved all live somewhere, and someone is responsible for what happens. Much of the oceans are not under any immediate control or ownership and treaties, diplomacy, naval power all play a more immediate role.
Topics covered in this book include fishing and fish stocks, whaling, sea level rise, pollution and mining. A chapter on security deals with military power, piracy, maintaining ecosystems and the protection of sea‐lanes. The fact that the section of documents is made up entirely of UN material is a further indication of the peculiar nature of the management of the oceans. Ocean law is often considered to have started with Mare Liberum 1608/9 by Hugo Grotius. At that time the concern was about free passage of shipping for the maritime nations of Europe, although I am sure that a similar concern must have been in mind in Asia. Change in the world political balance means there is now a considerable difference. The rights of less developed and landlocked nations are beginning to play a role.
I hope these comments have given some idea of the contents and concerns of this book. I found the three text chapters of greatest interest and importance. As with other books in this series, I give it a wide recommendation to audiences from late teens upwards, including those professionally and politically involved as well as interested members of the public.
