Measurement and Evaluation of Convergence of Japan’s Marine Fisheries and Marine Tourism

This study attempts to examine the convergence development of the marine fishery (MF) and marine tourism (MT) industries of Japan through the theory of industrial relevance. First, the current MF and MT situation in Japan is introduced to analyze the mechanism of the integration of the two industries. Second, a Vector Autoregression Model (VAR) is built to examine the relationship between MF and MT. In addition, the shock potential contributions of the MF and MT industries are identified using impulse response and variance decomposition. Results show that the impact of MF on MT is more significant than that of MT on MF. However, the interaction between MF and MT tends to stabilize in the long run. Third, the industrial integration case of Japan’s Himakajima Island is selected to analyze the MF and MT integration mechanism. The integration of MF and MT can reduce transaction costs, make full use of labor, and promote the development of the local economy. Therefore, attention should be paid to the integration of the MF and MT industries, rather than partial implementation, to balance the development of the marine economy. Finally, relevant suggestions and measures are presented for marine industry transformation and upgrading, industrial integration, and green ecological development.

Negotiating an International Legal Instrument on Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction: A Look Ahead

The negotiation of the future Agreement governing the conservation and sustainable use of marine biological diversity of areas beyond national jurisdiction is in its final stage. Essentially a treaty for the protection of general interests, the Agreement can generate several benefits for the governance of the oceans. However, in the first three sessions of the intergovernmental conference, deep discrepancies have emerged with respect to the core issues of the package agreed in 2011. This article identifies various formulas and strategies that have been considered in the negotiations and incorporated in the Revised draft text as possible regulatory options with the potential to bring positions closer and facilitate the agreement: avoiding explicit reference to the legal status of marine genetic resources;the incorporation of differential and contextual norms;the introduction of due diligence obligations;the incorporation of internal soft law;and the reduction of the scope of the treaty. These options may help to provide flexibility and differentiation in the regulation but, as essentially pragmatic measures, they tend to sacrifice the ambition of the final Agreement. On the other hand, if States assume their real role and responsibility in the process - that of interpreters of general interest and custodians of marine biodiversity - they would be in a better position to find novel and more ambitious solutions for bringing this crucial Agreement to fruition. This article advocates a return to basics and the placing of the marine environment at the centre of the regulations.

IMO’s Marine Environmental Regulatory Governance and China’s Role: An Empirical Study of China’s Submissions

The International Maritime Organization (IMO) plays a significant role in global marine environmental governance, providing a forum of regulatory oversight for member states. Member states are the main actors of the IMO and exert considerable influence on the process of lawmaking. Among these member states, China is unique due to its multiple identities. There are various factors influencing interests behind China’s multiple identities, which fully engage the country in various shipping and maritime trade activities. This article examines China’s role in the IMO marine environmental regulatory governance. It identifies the impact of China on global ocean governance and indicates the development and reforms in the global governance system. China enacted the China Ocean Agenda 21 for its strategy of ocean development. Thus, China is the object of study in this examination of empirical research that collects submissions from 2001 to 2020 related to marine environmental governance. The findings reveal that the extent to which China participates in such governance has considerably increased, and although the contribution of China’s submissions is still in development, its role in the IMO is no longer merely that of a follower, and the efforts of the country have had a positive influence on the IMO’s marine environmental regulatory governance, including its legal instruments.