The Evolution and Importance of the Law of the Sea in the Contemporary Multidisciplinary World

Abstract

The law of the sea is a branch of international law that is highly interdisciplinary, incorporating elements of maritime law, environmental law and international relations. As such, it is an area of research that is particularly suited to multi- and trans-disciplinary inquiry, by which we mean that particular intersection between the civilization of multiple disciplines. Recent years have seen increased concern for the protection of the marine environment and sustainable resource management, with a move towards new regulations on pollution, fisheries management and other human activities that may affect this environment. Recognition of the importance of fisheries and aquaculture to food security is conferred by the fact that they are important sources of food for billions of people around the world. Added to this are other concerns about the increasing numbers of migrants and people being trafficked via sea routes and the fight against piracy and other illegal activities. By incorporating transdisciplinary perspectives, the law of the sea can be better equipped to address the interconnected nature of marine issues such as marine pollution, climate change and ocean governance. In an ever-changing world, society has increasingly moved towards shaping international rules, creativity and transdisciplinarity as a tool for regulating all the issues arising from them. Through these variations of contemporary reality, we see how multi- and transdisciplinarity has become an important and necessary tool even for 'conservative' international law. One of the mutations has been the shift from the statocentric to the cosmopolitan view, through the recognition that not only states but also other entities, such as non-governmental organizations and individuals, play an important role in a global system of governance. The arguments and conclusions of this paper are intended to highlight the importance of understanding the finding and establishing another, more comprehensive research method in its adaptation to the new dynamics of society, going through the appropriate meta-analysis filtered through the ethos of the researcher. The elaboration of this article is based on the method of specific scientific introspection correlated with the transdisciplinary method. The sources used were specific primary and secondary sources from scientific journals, books, documents, expert opinions and other publications.