Adopting an integrated, multidisciplinary approach to the political geography of the Indian Ocean, this study analyses the Law of the Sea, evaluates the national legislation of those Indian Ocean littoral states which have proclaimed their maritime limits over offshore waters, examines the numerous bilateral and trilateral agreements on continental shelf and seabed limits of the states in the region. It also previews the potential demarcations in the region of study. Apart from its well written text, perhaps the most important aspect of the work is the exceptional series of beautifully drawn maps and diagrams accompanied by detailed captions or commentaries, a unique collection worthy of publication on its own.
This Study Is Important For The Promotion Of Better Understanding Between India And Sri Lanka On Maritime Issues. The Focus Is On Examining The Prospects For The Settlement Of The Maritime Dispute, Analysing The Potential Areas Of Maritime Cooperation In The Eez, Deep-Sea Resource Exploration, And Bilateral Understanding On Respective Fishermen`S Problems. It Examines The Security Threats From Illegal Networks And Analyses The Indo-Sri-Lankan Joint Initiatives Towards Regional Maritime Security Management In The Bay Of Bengal.
The Palk Bay region, which separates the coastal regions of Tamil Nadu from northern parts of Sri Lanka, has been in the headlines during recent years. The rich fishing waters, especially lucrative on the Sri Lanka side of the maritime boundary, became a bone of contention between Tamil Nadu fishermen and the Sri Lanka Navy during the years of the ethnic conflict. With the declaration of a ceasefire between the Sri Lanka Government and the the Tamil Tigers, a new dimension has been added to the problem. Sri Lankan fishermen have resumed fishing operations; however, they find poaching by Indian trawlers into Sri Lanka waters to be a major hindrance to their livelihood. The irony of fisheries in the Palk Strait is that while the trawling ground is limited, trawlers are unlimited. As more and more fishermen start fishing for less and less, storm clouds gather over the Palk Bay. What is the background to this controversy? What are the major issues? Can Indian interests, especially the interests of Tamil Nadu fishermen, be ensured, fostered and protected without depriving the livelihood of Sri Lankan fishermen? Can India and Sri Lanka work together and jointly enrich the marine resources in the southern part of South Asia? This book is an attempt to throw light on these and other relevant critical issues. It is hoped the conclusions would stimulate fresh thinking in New Delhi, Colombo, Chennai and Jaffna. REVIEWS
BIMSTEC (Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation) represents one of the most diverse regions of the world. Providing a unique link between South Asia and Southeast Asia, it brings together 1.5 billion people and a combined GDP of $2.7 trillion. This volume focuses on issues related to connectivity, commerce, and security challenges facing BIMSTEC. It studies BIMSTEC’s relevance as an inter-governmental organization in the changing international milieu. The volume discusses the necessity of connectivity to enhance Bay solidarity and analyses the political, strategic and security concerns that restrain commercial connectivity. It also looks at the Bay of Bengal region as a zone of competition—and possible collaboration—between the littoral countries and major powers involved in the region. Comprehensive and topical, this volume will be an essential read for scholars and researchers of international relations, South Asian studies, foreign policy, diplomacy, Southeast Asian studies, defence and strategic affairs, maritime studies, international trade, regional cooperation, and political studies.
Primarily concerned with the geopolitical importance of international boundaries, this atlas supplies maps and assessments of global maritime and land boundaries. Each country listing includes discussion of the characteristics of boundaries with other countries, incidents of political or military conflict, boundary infrastructure (pipelines and the like), cross-boundary trade information, and numerical assessments of different types of land boundary vulnerability. Distributed by Taylor & Francis. Annotation: 2004 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com).
This book is about the tragic journeys and livelihood insecurities of coastal fisherfolk jailed by India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh for having entered each other’s territorial waters. While reflecting on national anxieties and the deleterious politics of boundaries, it reveals how these fisherfolk create alternative maps and a new world of ‘debordering’. These fishworkers and coastal conflicts have been subjects of everyday news, but never a subject of serious study. A first of its kind, the present book breaks new ground by examining the journeys of these fisherfolk and coastal conflicts in South Asia from several overlapping but distinct perspectives: declining sea resources, security and border anxieties, suffering of the fisherfolk, their ambiguous identities and transnational movements. The book is also innovative in terms of methodology: it is fisherfolk-centric as it marginalizes the concerns of the state from the perspective of security; it questions the very basis of security and argues for a shift in its perspective.
Following from Fish for Life – Interactive Governance for Fisheries (Kooiman et al., 2005), which presents an interdisciplinary and intersectoral approach to the governance of capture and aquaculture fisheries, this volume pursues what interactive governance theory and the governability perspective contribute to the resolution of key fisheries problems, these include overfishing, unemployment and poverty, food insecurity, and social injustice. Since these problems are varied and can be felt among governments, resource users and communities globally, the diagnosis must be holistic, and take account of principles, institutions, and operational conditions. The authors argue that ‘wicked problems’ and institutional limitations are inherent to each setting, and must be included in the analysis. The volume thereby offers a new lens and a systematic approach for analysing the nature of problems and challenges concerning the governance of fisheries, explores where these problems are situated, and how potential solutions may be found. ”It now seems clear that the crisis in the world’s fisheries [is] a much larger and more complex problem than many had imagined. Yet, examining it through the lens of governability may offer the best hope for alleviating it--as well as alleviating similar crises in other social systems.” James R. McGoodwin (Professor Emeritus, University of Colorado)