Law of the Sea and Maritime Security

Tiago V. Zanella

ISBN: 9781041196853

Published: February 2026

Format: Hardcover

Language: English

Publisher: Routledge

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Description

Law of the Sea and Maritime Security provides an accessible and detailed examination of the legal frameworks governing maritime security and jurisdiction at sea, systematically tracing how key concepts of international law shape maritime security in practice. As maritime security threats increasingly intersect with broader global challenges — illegal fishing, climate migration, forced labour — this book fills critical gaps in legal understanding, navigating a fragmented landscape of maritime law and enforcement through clear explanations and real-world examples.

Key Features

Works systematically through every maritime zone, from internal waters to the high seas, clarifying the jurisdictional rights and responsibilities of coastal and flag states at each stage.

Covers the full range of contemporary maritime crimes — piracy, drug and human trafficking, migrant smuggling, terrorism, unauthorized transmissions, environmental offences, and IUU fishing — with practical guidance on applicable enforcement mechanisms.

Closes with a dedicated treatment of the lawful use of force at sea and its growing overlap with human rights obligations, an area of increasing litigation and policy attention.

Coverage

Topics include: criminal jurisdiction across all maritime zones (internal waters, territorial sea, international straits, archipelagic waters, contiguous zone, EEZ, high seas); regulation of maritime crimes including piracy, drug and human trafficking, terrorism at sea, ships without nationality, environmental crimes, and IUU fishing; and the legal use of force at sea alongside human rights obligations.

About the Authors

Tiago V. Zanella is Professor in the Postgraduate Programme in Maritime Studies at the Brazilian Naval War College (EGN) and a Postdoctoral Fellow in Blue Justice at the Federal University of Rio Grande (FURG) and in Maritime Security at EGN. He holds a PhD in International Law from the Faculty of Law of the University of Lisbon and is President of the Brazilian Institute of the Law of the Sea (BILOS). His research and publications focus on jurisdiction at sea, IUU fishing, maritime enforcement, and the law of the sea more broadly.

Table of Contents

Introduction

Part I: Criminal Jurisdiction in the Maritime Zones

1. Internal Waters · 2. Territorial Sea · 3. International Straits · 4. Archipelagic Waters · 5. Contiguous Zone · 6. Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) · 7. High Seas

Part II: Regulation of Maritime Crimes

8. Piracy · 9. Drug Trafficking at Sea · 10. Trafficking in Persons at Sea · 11. Unauthorized Transmissions · 12. Terrorism at Sea · 13. Ships Without Nationality · 14. Environmental Crimes at Sea · 15. IUU Fishing

Part III: Legal Use of Force at Sea

16. Use of Force at Sea · 17. Human Rights and the Law of the Sea

Why buy this book?

Maritime security cuts across piracy, trafficking, IUU fishing, and the use of force at sea — areas usually treated in separate specialist literatures. This book gives counsel, naval legal advisers, and policy analysts a single, zone-by-zone reference for where jurisdiction actually lies and how enforcement is meant to work, making it a practical tool for advising on real incidents rather than only a theoretical survey.

Keywords

law of the sea, maritime security, UNCLOS, maritime zones, piracy, IUU fishing, maritime jurisdiction, use of force at sea, maritime law enforcement, human rights at sea

Target Audience

Maritime lawyers, naval legal advisers, policy practitioners, international law academics, maritime security analysts

Genre

Maritime Law, Public International Law, Maritime Security

Q&A

What does this book cover? It examines the legal frameworks governing maritime security and jurisdiction at sea, moving zone by zone from internal waters to the high seas before addressing maritime crimes and the lawful use of force.

Who is this book for? Maritime lawyers, naval legal advisers, policy practitioners, and academics working on international law and maritime security.

Does it cover IUU fishing and human trafficking at sea? Yes, both are treated as distinct maritime crimes in Part II, alongside piracy, drug trafficking, and terrorism at sea.

Does it address the use of force at sea? Yes, Part III is dedicated to the lawful use of force at sea and its intersection with human rights obligations.

Where can I buy Law of the Sea and Maritime Security? You can order it directly from CLNZ Books, with secure worldwide shipping.

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