Attempts to bring into line the realities associated with natural systems and jurisdictional boundaries drawn by people are a major part of advancing more effective ocean use management systems. The 1982 United Nations Law of the Sea Treaty and the subsequent 1995 UN Convention on Highly Migratory and Straddling Fish Stocks represent attempts to change traditional management systems at the international level. A substantial body of domestic legislation and a number of programs provide a framework for management efforts at the national level. Fisheries Policy, Management, and Law. Fishing activities constitute a major use of the marine environment, and fisheries provide an important source of food, protein, and employment.
Worldwide fisheries are under severe pressure from over-utilization and environmental degradation.
Research has been and continues to be conducted on fisheries conservation efforts, fisheries allocation problems, and on fisheries management regimes and policy in developed and developing countries. Maritime Transportation and Ports. World trade is very much dependent on ocean transportation systems and the ports which service that trade. Ships and ports also have significance in terms of their actual or potential environmental impacts through matters such as oil spills and dredging. Research has focused on the impact of containerization on shipping and ports, the decline of the U.S. merchant marine, the operations of the multi-billion dollar cruise industry, and on marine insurance.