Environmental activism on the high seas: crime and criminalization

Description

Today’s struggle against ecocide and the extinction of species is characterized by an increasing criminalization of environmental activism. While most of this activism pursues strategies and tactics of non-violence, since around 1980 different groups in the western world have used violence as well: not against human animals, but against machineries and tools (e.g., Sea Shepherd, Earth First!, Animal Liberation Front). It has been claimed that outside of territorial waters, on the high seas (comprising half of the earth’s surface and two-thirds of the ocean) such vigilantism is justified because of the severe threat to ecosystems and maritime species, and the lack of enforcement of UN and other charters and regulations by states. On the other hand, groups such as Sea Shepherd have been framed as ‘eco-terrorists’ and ‘eco-pirates’ by actors as diverse as the FBI, Japanese whalers and government, and Greenpeace. This paper discusses the criminal nature of environmental activism on the high seas, placing it in the centuries-old discussions about whom the ocean belongs to; whether ‘eco-piracy’ like all piracy should be seen as transnational organized crime; and what this would mean for our view on and possible support for this activism.

Period	16 Apr 2025
Event title	International conference on Culture, Crime, and Global Challenges 7th Conference on Cultural Criminology: 7th Conference on Cultural Criminology
Event type	Conference
Location	Utrecht, NetherlandsShow on map
Degree of Recognition	International