The Polar Regions and the Law of the Sea

During the first decade of the twenty-first century there has been a renewed focus on the polar oceans. This has been partly driven by the attention generated by claims to an outer continental shelf made in both the Arctic Ocean and Southern Ocean by a number of countries. It has also been driven by renewed interest in the polar regions as a result of the impact of climate change making both regions more accessible to a range of activities, including commercial shipping, fishing operations, and seabed exploration and development. This paper commences with a discussion of the international law of the sea and then progresses to consider the particular and common challenges that exist with respect to the law of the seas in the polar oceans.