Particularly Sensitive Sea Areas (eBook)

Preface and Acknowledgements 6
Summary of Contents 8
Contents 10
Abbreviations 16
Introduction 22
I. Global Shipping and the Marine Environment 22
II. Particularly Sensitive Sea Areas and the International Maritime Organization 23
III. Aims of this treatise 24
IV. Synopsis 25
Part 1: The Marine Environment: Oceans under Threat 26
Chapter 1: The Oceans – Utilisation and Conflicts 26
I. The Marine Environment: Subject and Purpose of Protection 26
a) Habitat for Flora and Fauna 29
aa) Benthos 29
bb) Pelagic Environment 30
cc) Example: Coastal Areas 31
dd) Example: Deep Sea 33
b) Buffer within the Climate System 34
c) Food Repository 35
d) Intrinsic Value 36
II. Conflicting Uses of the Oceans 37
III. Concluding Remarks 43
Chapter 2: Threats to the Marine Environment: Pollution and Physical Damage 44
I. Sources of Pollution 44
II. Types of Pollutants 45
III. Shipping-Related Threats to the Marine Environment 52
Part 2: Instruments to Protect Specific Marine Areas 58
Chapter 3: Protection of Specific Marine Areas 58
I. Introduction to the Concept of Marine Protected Areas 58
II. Establishing Marine Protected Areas 63
III. Related Developments in International Environmental Policy 69
Chapter 4: Protection of Marine Areas in International Law – Basic Principles 71
I. Introduction: Acceptance in International Law versus Unilateral Measures 72
II. Relevant Principles of International Environmental Law and International Law of the Sea 73
III. United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea 84
a) Territorial Sea 90
b) Exclusive Economic Zone 91
c) High Seas 95
d) Straits used for International Navigation 96
e) Archipelagic Waters 99
f) Unique Characteristics of Port State Jurisdiction 101
IV. Implications of the Convention on Biological Diversity 112
V. Summarising Remarks 115
Chapter 5: Marine Protected Areas in Multilateral Instruments 116
I. Global International Law 116
a) Special Areas 118
aa) Procedural Aspects 119
bb) Substantive Aspects 120
b) SOx Emission Control Areas 123
II. Regional International Law 130
III. Concluding Remarks: Similarities – Contrasts – Improvement Opportunities 152
Part 3: Particularly Sensitive Sea Areas: an IMO Instrument to Protect Marine Areas 156
Chapter 6: Protection of the Marine Environment through IMO within the System of International Institutions 156
I. International Organisations Addressing Marine Matters 156
II. Legal Framework of IMO Efforts to Protect the Marine Environment 161
a) Means of Establishing Rules and Standards 162
b) Determination of the Legal Quality: Binding and Recommendatory Acts 164
III. Instruments Established and Governed by IMO 169
Chapter 7: Development and Structure of the PSSA Concept: Implementation and Coordination of Protective Measures 175
I. IMO Assembly Resolution A.982(24): Implementing the Concept 176
II. Designation: Requirements and Procedures 184
a) Course of the Procedure 191
b) Requirements for Proposing Governments 194
III. Consequences of a Designation 196
IV. Concluding Remarks 205
Chapter 8: Associated Protective Measures as the Essential Part of a PSSA 205
Part 4: The PSSA Concept – Analysis and Assessment 254
Chapter 9: Comparison between PSSAs and other Regimes in International Law 254
I. Protecting Vulnerable Marine Areas in International Law: Synopsis 254
a) Procedural Issues 255
b) Criteria and Prerequisites for Protection 258
c) Availability and Enforcement of Protective Measures 262
II. Relationship of the Protective Regimes: Progression towards Collaboration 265
III. Summarising Remarks 270
Chapter 10: Legal Quality of the PSSA Guidelines and their Effect on Jurisdiction to Implement and Enforce Protective Measures 271
I. IMO Assembly Resolution A.982(24) 271
a) PSSAs and Article 211(6) of UNCLOS 273
b) Implementation of General Obligations Contained in Part XII of UNCLOS 274
c) APMs as Generally Accepted International Rules and Standards 275
aa) Feasibility of this Interpretation 276
bb) Legality of this Interpretation 278
II. Implications for the Balance between Environment Protection and Freedom of Navigation 280
a) Territorial Sea aa) Legislative Jurisdiction 281
bb) Enforcement Jurisdiction 282
b) Exclusive Economic Zone 283
c) Straits and Archipelagic Waters 284
a) PSSA Status: Additional Rights or Added Value? 287
b) Modified Interpretation of Indeterminate Legal Terms 289
III. PSSAs on the High Seas – Competences and Responsibilities 295
IV. Main Findings 303
Chapter 11: PSSAs and Ocean Governance: Current Interdependencies and Prospects for Future Developments 304
I. Past Achievements: the PSSA Concept’s Impact on Ocean Governance 305
II. Perspectives for Future Developments of the Concept 311
a) Designations of Large and Disparate Marine Areas 312
b) Consequences: Redesign of the PSSA Concept 316
a) Determining the Adequate Instrument to Develop a Multilateral MPA Regime 318
b) Material Legal Prerequisites 321
c) Institutional Arrangements 323
III. Concluding Remarks 326
Summary 328
Annex 350
1 INTRODUCTION 350
2 INTERNATIONAL SHIPPING ACTIVITIES AND THE MARINE ENVIRONMENT 351
3 PROCESS FOR THE DESIGNATION OF PARTICULARLY SENSITIVE SEA AREAS 352
4 ECOLOGICAL, SOCIO-ECONOMIC, OR SCIENTIFIC CRITERIA FOR THE IDENTIFICATION OF A PARTICULARLY SENSITIVE SEA AREA 352
5 VULNERABILITY TO IMPACTS FROM INTERNATIONAL SHIPPING 355
6 ASSOCIATED PROTECTIVE MEASURES 357
7 PROCEDURE FOR THE DESIGNATION OF PARTICULARLY SENSITIVE SEA AREAS AND THE ADOPTION OF ASSOCIATED PROTECTIVE MEASURES 357
8 CRITERIA FOR ASSESSMENT OF APPLICATIONS FOR DESIGNATION OF PARTICULARLY SENSITIVE SEA AREAS AND THE ADOPTION OF ASSOCIATED PROTECTIVE MEASURES 361
9 IMPLEMENTATION OF DESIGNATED PSSAs AND THE ASSOCIATED PROTECTIVE MEASURES 363
Bibliography 364
Index 394