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Harrison, James --- "Actors and institutions for the protection of the marine environment" [2015] ELECD 1135; in Rayfuse, Rosemary (ed), "Research Handbook on International Marine Environmental Law" (Edward Elgar Publishing, 2015) 57

Book Title: Research Handbook on International Marine Environmental Law

Editor(s): Rayfuse, Rosemary

Publisher: Edward Elgar Publishing

ISBN (hard cover): 9781781004760

Section: Chapter 3

Section Title: Actors and institutions for the protection of the marine environment

Author(s): Harrison, James

Number of pages: 22

Abstract/Description:

The international legal framework for the protection of the marine environment has seen rapid development in recent decades and there is little doubt that international institutions have played a leading role in this process. This chapter provides an overview of the types of institutions that are active in this field and the different ways in which they are involved in the making and implementation of international marine environmental law. The chapter draws upon both international legal scholarship and relevant theories from international relations, in order to explain the influence of international institutions and other international actors in developing and implementing rules and principles for the protection of the marine environment. Finally, it considers problems that may arise from the multiplicity of institutions that are involved in the protection of the marine environment and it evaluates some of the solutions that have been put forward to counter the fragmentation of the law-making process. The chapter argues that the focus of future research would be better directed towards improving mechanisms for the effective cooperation and coordination of existing institutions, rather than towards the establishment of a new global institution dedicated to all aspects of marine environmental protection.