The Fate of the Sea as Determined by Geopolitical Relationships: Exploring Centralized Governance Over the World’s Largest Common-Pool Resource

Abstract: This work sheds light on the centralized nature of ocean governance and the symptomatic expenses borne by marine natural capital and smaller scale ocean users alike, such as artisanal fishermen. Considering the weak representation on the topic within formal academic circles, phenomena are primarily thread from grey and secondary sources into a supportive theoretical work regarding oceanic spatial appropriation from the federal governments of the world’s coastal states. It is argued that the marginalization of the world’s coastal poor and ecological depletion in part result from the top-down nature of managing marine resources, and that the fate of nearly all sea life is in large part at the hands of geopolitical relationships.