Ocean Governance, Maritime Security, and International Relations

Abstract Taking as a starting point Philip Steinberg’s seminal insights on the social construction of the ocean, in this article we examine the maritime environment as a social space, seeking to connect contemporary debates on ocean governance, maritime security, and International Relations (IR). From this standpoint, we investigate how different narratives about the sea guide the way ocean governance has developed in the past and projects into the future. Furthermore, we argue that despite the lack of centrality of the sea in IR theorising, these different narratives and the way they guide ocean governance can be framed within the main theoretical approaches of the IR discipline. To advance this discussion, we draw on primary documentary sources, including international law and government and non-government reports, as well as on secondary bibliographic sources, in order to examine how narratives about the sea lead to alternative approaches to ocean governance. Based on this analysis, the article contributes not only to synthesise the debate on ocean governance, but also to connect this debate to the theoretical discussion in the IR field.