On maritime matters
Seafaring is full of stories; both fiction and non-fiction. However, even in today’s information age, a lot of important maritime news stories and information remain poorly disseminated. Even when bits of information reach the correct quarters, the information either gets distorted or remains difficult to obtain. This lack of information and authenticity results in poor awareness and decision making. Many maritime practitioners remain poorly informed and ignorant of important developments. This phenomenon is more pronounced in developing states where maritime sector is least developed and, thus, suffers from poor global connectivity.
On the other hand, all maritime security services are emphasising “Maritime Domain Awareness” (MDA). International Maritime Organisation (IMO) defines MDA as the effective understanding of anything associated with the maritime domain that could impact the security, safety, economy, or environment. This definition demands much more than the existing MDA frameworks. Many security MDA networks only emphasise the situational awareness i.e., who is where, course, speed and intentions. When MDA is exchanged between nations, it is the situational awareness that takes priority. The Indian Ocean has many country specific MDA systems. Even these struggle to obtain and coordinate information within the country and sharing it with all the government agencies.
Piracy hotspots near the Indian Ocean choke points forced creation of anti-piracy networks. Maritime information sharing arrangements such as ReCAAP Information Sharing Centre, International Maritime Bureau Piracy Reporting Centre, and Maritime Security Centre Horn of Africa (MSCHOA) have worked well but remain limited to incident reporting and situational awareness concerning piracy. Inter-state, regional or Ocean wide MDA networks are yet to be developed around the Indian Ocean. In the absence of MDA networks, sharing of interesting or important maritime topical information can meet a gaping void and also strengthen MDA systems wherever they exist.
Why information should be shared
In addition to piracy, oceans still remain quite lawless. Quoting from a story in The New York Times (17 July, 2015):
“Few places on the planet are as lawless as the high seas, where egregious crimes are routinely committed with impunity. Though the global economy is ever more dependent on a fleet of more than four million fishing and small cargo vessels and 100,000 large merchant ships that haul about 90 percent of the world’s goods, today’s maritime laws have hardly more teeth than they did centuries ago when history’s great empires first explored the oceans’ farthest reaches.
“Through debt or coercion, tens of thousands of workers, many of them children, are enslaved on boats every year, with only occasional interventions. On average, a large ship sinks every four days and between 2,000 and 6,000 seamen die annually, typically because of avoidable accidents linked to lax safety practices.
“Ships intentionally dump more engine oil and sludge into the oceans in the span of three years than that spilled in the Deepwater Horizon and Exxon Valdez accidents combined, ocean researchers say, and emit huge amounts of certain air pollutants, far more than all the world’s cars. Commercial fishing, much of it illegal, has so efficiently plundered marine stocks that the world’s population of predatory fish has declined by two thirds.”
Last year a video surfaced in Fiji showing gruesome murder of four men in cold blood at high seas in vicinity of four fishing vessels. Where it occurred and who the perpetrators were remain shrouded in mystery. Unfortunately, there is no requirement to report violent crime at sea under maritime law nor any clear guideline for the mariners.
Labour, human rights and environmental abuses at sea are widespread and largely go unreported. The recent plight of immigrants exploited by human traffickers made banner headlines the world over. Similarly, thousands of trawlers indulge in illegal and ecologically suicidal fishing practices. A large portion of the catch becomes fish meal or added as protein to dog and cat food. Absence of information is one reason that national and international laws have not been formulated to thwart and punish such criminal activity. Ultimately such lack of ethics, reporting and lack of information does affect maritime security and safety which are the main objectives defined in the IONS charter.
How little do we know about our own Indian Ocean came in sharp focus through the untraceable tragic incident of MH-370. Therefore, the need for sharing maritime information needs no emphasis. This can become one of the guiding principles for developing cooperative mechanisms under the IONS. The question is what information should be shared and what can be the best mechanism.
Information to be shared
The maritime topical information can take many forms, such as:
a. Maritime criminal law development, enforcement and lessons learnt.
b. Sharing of information on all kinds of criminal activity i.e., commercial crime, illegal fishing, human trafficking, labour law violations, environmental crimes etc.
c. Sharing research, academic information and educational initiatives.
d. Proceedings of seminars, conferences, workshops, dialogues and symposia.
e. Sharing of news, magazines and journal articles.
f. Cooperative strategies and mechanisms in dealing with the international organisations such as LINO, IMO, INTERPOL, FAO, ILO, IOTC (Indian Ocean Tuna Commission), international maritime commercial entities and NGOS such as IUCN, WWF etc.
g. Methodology and systems to cooperate and comply with international regimes.
h. Underlying systems, procedures and regulations governing ports, shipping and freight forwarding that can help other states.
j. Regulations governing maritime technology, safety, survey and certification.
k. SAR co-ordination and disaster relief preparedness and response.
Ways to share information
The internet has simplified sharing of information. The existing information sharing networks on piracy including Djibouti Code of Conduct have delivered in dealing with the menace of piracy. One of the recognised deficiencies was the reluctance of some vessels about reporting piracy incidents. Insurance companies and International Chamber of Commerce (Commercial Crime Services) also have good information sharing networks for tracking and investigating maritime incidents, fraud and commercial crimes. INTERPOL, of course, has its own networks dealing with piracy, environmental crimes, arms, drug and human trafficking. Several research institutions have data and important information available on their websites, which even carry links to other important resources like government departments, laws, regulations, policies etc. Many law and judicial databases are available for the legal fraternity. IUCN maintains a good database for environmental laws of many countries. So much of the topical information is scattered around the digital information highways around the world. The need is to simplify and unify the availability of information.
First, all the IONS members should agree on a common approach to share information which is not available on other networks. Only India has an IONS specific website www.ions.gov.in. Some countries have IONS related information on their navies’ websites. Perhaps it will be better that all IONS member states should have an IONS page on their navies’ website. This approach will allow web administrators of each navy or security agency’s website to keep the IONS page up to date. The topical information to be shared with other members should be placed on the IONS web page. Ultimately links to other relevant websites of that country should be created on the country’s IONS web page. For example, Pakistan Navy’s website can show the topical information as well as have links to Pakistan customs, KPT, PQA etc websites. A layered sharing mechanism would be required according to the sensitivity of information to be shared. Non-sensitive general information can be freely available. The sensitive information can be password protected giving each member state a single login and password like the website of CGPCS. Confidential information should not be placed on internet but disseminated through the usual diplomatic channels.
Overcoming reluctance to share information
The sharing of information will face reluctance and obstructions from many stakeholders. Human beings are not programmed to readily share information unless they see a quid pro quo. Moreover, there is a universal tendency to hoard information in the belief, “knowledge is power”. Therefore, a strong will is required for free flow and exchange of information. Small steps will ultimately lead to bigger interaction. This is the age of WikiLeaks. Therefore, it is better to share information without embellishment. The guiding objectives of the IONS are strengthening maritime security of the Indian Ocean Region. Thus, all IONS members should share information that will augment security and improve maritime co-operation. Developed maritime member states such as Australia, France Singapore and United Kingdom should set the example and take a lead in information sharing through the IONS platform.
Conclusion
In the words of Mother Teresa, “If we have no peace, it is because we have forgotten that we belong to each other.” Sharing of information is a primary way to convey that we belong to each other. It is also a vital element for peaceful co-existence. The objectives of the IONS emphasise security, safety, relief from disaster and maritime security co-operation. Sharing of information for Maritime Domain Awareness is a priority item on the IONS agenda. The current focus highlights the situational awareness. However, MDA, as defined by IMO, cannot be divorced from a full spectrum of maritime information, be it laws, environmental conditions, infrastructure development, HADR readiness, SAR capacities etc. Let us share what we know or think and make the Indian Ocean a peaceful thriving maritime zone.
