Bounty in the Bering Strait: a case for proactive regulation in the world's next chokepoint

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Author
Russell, Emily Clarke
Chair
Ehrlander, Mary
Committee
Cole, Terrence
Meek, Chanda
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URI
http://hdl.handle.net/11122/6122
Abstract
This thesis analyzes trends in waterborne trade throughout history to demonstrate that the Bering Strait will soon become a chokepoint of international trade. Scientific studies suggest that the accelerating effects of global warming in the Arctic will result in ice-free routes in the coming decades. Given the likelihood that vessel traffic through the Bering Strait will rise, this thesis assesses the region's ecological vulnerability, along with its significant commercial and cultural values. The history of shipping regulation worldwide and commercial regulation in the Bering Sea reveals a tendency to enact regulation in response to a major oil spill or species depletion. To ensure the food security of Native coastal communities and the productivity of commercial fisheries in the Bering Sea, this thesis argues for a proactive approach to vessel traffic regulation in the Bering Strait. It examines several current regulatory regimes to identify which could be enacted to protect the region's resources. This thesis concludes that, despite barriers to cooperation between Russia and the U.S., a cross-border management regime that promotes safe shipping through the Bering Strait would further both nations' economic interests and safeguard the Bering Sea's valuable yet vulnerable marine resources.
Description
Thesis (M.A.) University of Alaska Fairbanks, 2015
Table of Contents
Introduction -- Literature Review -- The History of Maritime Trade -- Chokepoints of Trade -- Analyses of Arctic Shipping -- Bounty in the Bering Sea -- Regulation in the Bering Strait -- Methodology -- Chapter One: A brief history of maritime trade, the importance of chokepoints and the inevitable rise of vessel traffic through the Bering Strait -- Introduction -- Waterborne Trade -- The Growth of Civilizations -- The First Maritime Empires -- The Spread of Transoceanic Trade -- The Importance of Geography -- Advantages of Ocean vs. Land Transport -- Geography and Power -- Chokepoints to Maritime Trade -- Chokepoints at Risk -- Arctic Alternatives -- Northeast and Northwest Passages -- Global Warming and Thawing Shipping Lanes -- The Allure of the Northeast Passage -- The Bering Strait as a Future Chokepoint -- International Interest in the Arctic -- Commercial Viability of the Arctic -- Oil and Gas Arctic Shipping -- Discussion -- Conclusion -- Chapter Two: Assessing present values in the Bering Sea and past regulatory trends worldwide to make the case for proactive regulation in the Bering Strait -- Introduction -- The Bering Sea Ecosystem -- Historical Value -- Land Bridge Migrations, First Settlements, and Subsistence Trends -- Current Value -- Subsistence Habits and Food Security in Coastal Communities -- Subsistence Species Threatened by Global Warming -- Introduction of Cash Economies and Store-Bought Foods -- Bering Sea Fishery -- History of Commercial Endeavors in the Bering Sea -- Eighteenth and Nineteenth Centuries: Marine Mammal Harvesting -- Twentieth and Twenty-First Centuries: Bering Sea Fisheries -- Threats to the Bering Sea Fisheries and Subsistence Resources Posed by Shipping -- Oil and Gas Spills -- Ship Strikes -- Noise -- Pollution -- Discussion -- Overharvesting of Marine Resources -- Oil Spills and Subsequent Regulations -- Conclusion -- Chapter Three: Proposed solutions, regulatory options, and economic incentives for cooperation between Russia and the U.S. in the Bering Strait -- Introduction -- Local Concerns and Recommended Regulations -- Mandatory vs. Voluntary Regulations -- Legal Frameworks for the Arctic Ocean -- United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) -- International Maritime Organization (IMO) -- The International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships (MARPOL) -- Particularly Sensitive Sea Areas -- Polar Code -- Regulatory Gap -- Potential for Cross-Border U.S.-Russia Collaboration -- The Redistribution of State Power and the Rise of NGOs -- Russia-Norway Collaboration -- U.S.-Canada Collaboration -- Past and Present U.S.-Russia Relations -- Arctic Ambitions -- Russia -- United States -- Discussion -- Conclusion -- Bibliography.
Date
2015-08
Type
Thesis
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