Who Rules the Waves?: Piracy, Overfishing and Mining the Oceans

With piracy raging in the Indian Ocean, international disputes over undersea oil and gas, and chronic overfishing, the oceans have rarely been subject to such varied and environmentally damaging conflict outside a world war. In Who Rules the Waves? Denise Russell gives us a rare insight into these issues and how they could be resolved.

International law states that a coastal country has territorial rights for 12 miles into the sea beyond its coastline, and economic rights for 200 miles, but in practice many countries have virtually no control over their own waters, and there is no international agency powerful enough to settle disputes. Russell provides a thorough examination of the politics of the sea, showing that without a radical change in ocean governance, accelerating climate change and overuse of the seas resources is likely to have catastrophic effects.

Who Rules the Waves is a must read for anyone who cares about the oceans and a great resource for environmental courses. It is rare to find such a holistic, interdisciplinary, and comprehensive view of the marine environment presented in such as interesting and accessible way.
Professor Sharon Beder, author of Environmental Principles and Policies and Global Spin