Global Flows of Shipping and Sea Cables

Question 1

Global trade patterns and networks

Answer 1

• trade in physical goods includes movements of primary industry products (food, energy, raw materials) and manufactured items (processed food, electronics)
• world trade dominated by developed countries and large EEs including the BRIC group
• value of world trade and global GDP risen by ~2% annually since 1945 (except 2008-09 due to GFC)
• majority of trade between developed countries due to affluent consumers and markets found in wealthier countries
• middle class diets characterised by greater consumption of meat and dairy, China’s annual meet consumption pc rose from 4 to 52kg between 1990 and 2010
• Despite ‘slow’ China’s worlds greatest export of goods, 2013 = $2 trillion, emerged dominant influence of world trade in 1980s

Question 2

Container shipping trends

Answer 2

• over 600 million containers are moved across oceans annually, shipping described as ‘backbone’ to global economy esersince industry’s pioneer
• intermodal containers = large capacity units transported long distances on several forms of transport
• MSC Oscar 395m long, 48m Wie and can carry 19,000 containers - container vessels increasing in size and fewer running
• average size of ships increased by 90% in past 20 years
• vessels built at greater rate than growth of global trade, container ships operating from china been saving with too few containers to make profit
• supply chains shortened as more MNCs restoring operations as a result of rising costs and risks (sourcing locally instead of distant offshore locations)
• ship breaking taking place in India and Bangladesh due to cheaper labour and fewer health and safety regulations

Question 3

Regulating shipping flows

Answer 3

• UNCLOS guarantees all shipping the right of innocent passage through waters of any state
• regulation needed to safeguard environment from shipping movements, especially oil tankers as a result of transboundary pollution events
• Coastal margins of France and UK several effected by 119,000 tonnes of oil released from Torrey Canyon Supertanker in 1967
• 80km beaches of UK contaminated, UK’s worst environmental disaster
• 1990s = 358 spills of over 7 tns, successful regulation under UNCLOS reduced oil lice by 75% in 200s

Question 4

Identifying and tackling illegal Trans-oceanic flows

Answer 4

• illegal transoceanic flows of people, narcotics, counterfeit property, stolen good and wildlife link society and places together globally
• UN repeatedly called states to work together to tackle crime flows, many using open oceans and territorial waters as operational space

Question 5

People trafficking

Answer 5

• over 90% migrants illegally use services to cross Mediterranean
• criminal networks involving migrant smuggling turned over ~4 billion, highly profitable

Question 6

Smuggling

Answer 6

• recently increased across Mediterranean and Atlantic as Europe coastline is poorly monitored by security agencies
• illegal drugs, guns and counterfeits enter EU routinely via its coastal margins
• after 2001 NY terror attacks, UN introduced security I form of ISPS giving port authorities heightened security powers to monitor shipping and control access fo vessels

Question 7

Slavery at sea

Answer 7

• allegations of exploitation and slavery in parts of UK fishing fleet, relies on foreign labour
• hard to protect human rights of workers who do not have permission to live in UK however are legally allowed to work in British waters