In the vast, lawless expanses of the open sea, a new academic frontier is emerging, one that’s got maritime professionals and policymakers alike sitting up and taking notice. Jessica Larsen, a researcher from the Danish Institute for International Studies, has just dropped a bombshell of an introduction in the journal ‘Ocean and Society’ (Ocean and Society is translated from Danish as ‘Ocean and Society’). She’s coined a new term: maritime justice, and it’s set to shake up the way we think about order-making at sea.
So, what’s all the fuss about? Well, Larsen’s not just talking about the usual suspects like piracy and smuggling. She’s looking at the whole shebang of illicit maritime activities, from illegal fishing to human trafficking, and asking: how do we govern these waters? And more importantly, how do the laws we put in place shape the very order we’re trying to maintain?
Larsen’s not just interested in the big, flashy stuff, either. She’s digging deep into the nitty-gritty of everyday law enforcement practices, trying to understand how they play out in the real world. As she puts it, “it is heterogeneous but holds a methodological commitment to studying everyday law enforcement practices of maritime security governance to disentangle its meanings and effects.” In other words, she’s not afraid to get her hands dirty, wading through the muck and mire of maritime governance to find out what really makes it tick.
But why should maritime professionals care? Well, for starters, understanding how maritime justice works can help us design more effective regulatory responses. And that’s not just good for the environment or human rights—it’s good for business too. After all, a well-governed sea is a safe sea, and a safe sea is a profitable sea.
Take illegal fishing, for instance. It’s a massive problem, costing the global economy billions every year. But if we can understand how laws against illegal fishing are enforced—and where they fall short—we can start to plug those gaps. And that means more fish in the sea, more money in the pockets of legitimate fishermen, and a more sustainable industry overall.
But it’s not just about stopping the bad guys. Maritime justice is also about understanding how the laws we put in place shape the very order we’re trying to maintain. As Larsen notes, “the junction between illicit maritime activities and regulatory responses as a productive space to study the varied norms that shape order-making at sea, and vice versa.” In other words, the laws we put in place don’t just reflect the world as it is—they help shape it.
And that’s where the real opportunity lies. By understanding how maritime justice works, we can start to shape the sea in a way that benefits everyone—from the smallest artisanal fisherman to the biggest shipping magnate. We can create a sea that’s not just safe and profitable, but also just and sustainable.
So, buckle up, maritime professionals. The world of maritime justice is about to get a whole lot more interesting. And with researchers like Jessica Larsen leading the charge, we’re in for one heck of a ride.