About this Research Topic

Background

Transnational maritime environmental crimes are gaining international attention due to the nature and extent of their potential harm. Given the many and varied crime-types, developing a rigorous, and multidisciplinary knowledge base is integral to enable the international community, states and non-state actors (e.g. the private sector) to respond appropriately to these unwavering threats and new harm landscapes. These crimes include traditional maritime crimes though presenting in modern ways, such as illegal fishing, marine pollution and flora and fauna trafficking. Additionally, it may include emerging crimes and risks in response to opportunities, such as ecocide, vandalism of underwater fiber and pipelines, underwater cultural heritage trafficking, and unsustainable marine tourism.

These crimes and harms present in many forms and while international and domestic regulatory frameworks often exist to disrupt or prevent them, these crimes continue stealthily, often backed by powerful commercial or organized crime interests. Common among these maritime-based environmental crimes is the transnational element. Freedom of navigation limits enforcement on the high seas, though limited politically, may lead to lax enforcement spilling over into exclusive economic zones as well.

Understanding the problems as well as developing strategies for improved responses to limit opportunity to offend, drawing on blue criminology, are increasingly critical. This includes consideration of local community-led and gendered responses to maritime crimes.

The vast nature of the maritime environment creates opportunity to conduct activities without fear of interception and provides limitless resources available to exploit. Understanding these crimes is critical but so too is developing practical approaches to respond. The emerging concept of blue criminology applies a lens from which these crimes can be understood, and domestic, regional and international responses can be developed to encourage harmonized and cooperative transboundary policy and regulatory frameworks. The potential harm of transnational maritime environmental crimes may be worsened by global challenges, including the COVID-19 pandemic, maritime boundary disputes, and climate change, which will unquestionably pose a greater risk to developing countries, indeed the small island developing states, particularly in the Global South.

We invite multidisciplinary research that draws on empirical, data-driven, legal, and social-scientific approaches to address these transnational maritime environmental crimes amidst global challenges. Submissions can be internationally, regionally or domestically-focused, and Global South scholars/research submissions are of particular interest. Beyond understanding and prioritizing these crimes, practical approaches to prevention must be developed to inform practice, such as consideration of policing the unpoliceable zones and the role of enabling crimes such as corruption. Engaging blue criminology is relevant as a means to contextualize, prioritize and prevent maritime environmental crimes.

Keywords: Maritime Environmental Crime, Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated Fishing, Underwater Art Heritage Trafficking, Seafood Traceability, Marine Plastics Pollution, Ecocide at Sea, Maritime Environmental Crime Regulation, Small Island Developing States, Corruption

Important note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.

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