Regional Aspects of Ocean Management

Regional approaches to ocean management are but one component of global management systems. The world ocean is, in a sense, a single geographical unit, with various interacting forms and processes. At one end of the management spectrum are global rules and regulations, such as those developed by IMCO for issues of vessel source pollution. At the other end are national, state, and local standards which are applicable for internal and territorial waters. With the coming of the exclusive economic zone, some of these national standards will also come to apply out to 200 miles from shore. In between these extremes is the management of "regional"areas - that is, of some geographic entities which lie between national and global. In this article it is suggested that there are at least three geographical sub-categories within this group: subregional, regional and extra-regional.