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Issues in Australia's marine and antarctic policies
Book reviews
tible of successful response . But something must be left to chance. If either the tasks or the capabilities of the Navy are too narrowly conceived, whether as the result of rigidity in strategic thought or in response to the exigencies of an ephemerat political combination, it might not be only the unforeseen confrontation at sea that decided the issue. The Naval Staff could do as much as political unheaval to bring on that distant, improbable, but not altogether inconceivable climax of British decline: doing without a Navy. A more maritime alignment of British Strategy would be consonant with British foreign policy, which sees NATO as an alliance intended to prevent war rather than to win it. Because the British contribution to NATO would then be more directly related to national defence, as the German cont~bution already is, support for the Alliance in Britain would be fortified. Even if no change in foreign policy is contem-
plated, a predominantly maritime strategy would give a British government more control over their own forces and thus more political freedom of manoeuvre in a crisis. General agreement on policy is not always reflected ik immediate reactions to emergency and the added flexibilitv could offer Britain an advantage that might literally be vital.
These are conclusions will
agree,
we must
government takes a broader and longer view than its predecessors of our interests in this area. This book should help them.
Kei~ Speed, RD, MP House of Commons London
Towards an understanding Australian marine policy ISSUES IN AUSTRALIA’S MARINE AND ANTARCTIC POLICIES edited by R.A. Herr, R. Hall and B.W. Davis Public Policy Monograph, Deparbnent of Political Science, University of Tasmania, 1982,201 pp This volume is a reproduction of typescripts prepared for a series of seminars. There is no index and the unnecessarily large page borders make handling uncomfortable. The quality of contribution ranges from excellent to misleading. Part I (marine policy) records Brennan on the law of the sea, Prescott on maritime boundaries, Bergin on coastal surveillance, Phillips on the role of the Commonwealth Scientific and Research Organization Industrial (CSIRO), and Harrison on Tasmanian resources. Part II (Antarctic Policy) international Brennan on has developments, Suter on public policy, Caro on the role of science, Lewis on the citizen, research and conservation, and Cameron on petroleum potential. Brennan’s articles are exemplary, prepared ‘through the eyes of a lawyer’ and with the experience of having led Australia’s delegations to the UN Conference on the Law of the Sea.
MARINEPOLICYOctober1983
with which many hope the new
of
The articles should have been supplemented with contributions prepared through the eyes of an economist and through the eyes of a scientist. These cont~butions would have provided a practical appreciation of what is likely to happen, thus evaluating the likely effect of legal aspirations and possibilities. The rights of coastal states, the benefits to developing states, and the di~emination of the results of science are relevant in this regard. Also, the ecosystem approach to the conservation of living Antarctic resources has international importance extending beyond intergovernmental discussion. Prescott’s article is autho~tative and helpful and exemplifies the difficulties which arise when baselines are not accurately settled. Bergin is informative
about the enormity of the problem Australia faces in attempting surveillance, but the topic is not really germane to the central issues of policy. Phillips describes the important living resources, both actual and potential, and outlines their distribution, size and management. Although he sometimes confuses catch with stock, this is a useful exposition. In a very good article Harrison gives the history of Tasmania’s living resources policies, including their relation to the Antarctic. I+rticularly useful is his resume of Commonwealth-State cooperation. A similar effort for the whole of Australia would be valuable. Suter’s contribution ranges over many fields, overlapping with most of the other authors. Unlike them, he is careless with his facts, presentation and interpretation. Car0 gives a general presentation on science and Antarctic policy, but regrettably is mistaken in his views on sovereignty (p 141) and the state of Australian oceanography (p 148). Lewis provides a magazine-type presentation of public interest groups’ reactions to Antarctica. Cameron’s authoritative geological article is a revised version of a previous paper. On the whole the volume is an important contribution. The matters necessary for an understanding of Australia’s present attitudes and future problems are covered in the good articles which have bibliographies pointing the path to detailed understanding.
G.F. ~umph~y CSIRO Marine Biochemistry Unit Sydney, Australia
Conferences Marine Policy welcomes information on forthcoming conferences, seminars and courses for listing in the Calendar. Short reports of meetings are also welcomed. Inquiries should be addressed to the Mana~ng Editor, Marine Policy, Buttexworth Scientific, PO Box 63, Westbury House, Bury Street, Guildford GU2 5BH.
319
tible of successful response . But something must be left to chance. If either the tasks or the capabilities of the Navy are too narrowly conceived, whether as the result of rigidity in strategic thought or in response to the exigencies of an ephemerat political combination, it might not be only the unforeseen confrontation at sea that decided the issue. The Naval Staff could do as much as political unheaval to bring on that distant, improbable, but not altogether inconceivable climax of British decline: doing without a Navy. A more maritime alignment of British Strategy would be consonant with British foreign policy, which sees NATO as an alliance intended to prevent war rather than to win it. Because the British contribution to NATO would then be more directly related to national defence, as the German cont~bution already is, support for the Alliance in Britain would be fortified. Even if no change in foreign policy is contem-
plated, a predominantly maritime strategy would give a British government more control over their own forces and thus more political freedom of manoeuvre in a crisis. General agreement on policy is not always reflected ik immediate reactions to emergency and the added flexibilitv could offer Britain an advantage that might literally be vital.
These are conclusions will
agree,
we must
government takes a broader and longer view than its predecessors of our interests in this area. This book should help them.
Kei~ Speed, RD, MP House of Commons London
Towards an understanding Australian marine policy ISSUES IN AUSTRALIA’S MARINE AND ANTARCTIC POLICIES edited by R.A. Herr, R. Hall and B.W. Davis Public Policy Monograph, Deparbnent of Political Science, University of Tasmania, 1982,201 pp This volume is a reproduction of typescripts prepared for a series of seminars. There is no index and the unnecessarily large page borders make handling uncomfortable. The quality of contribution ranges from excellent to misleading. Part I (marine policy) records Brennan on the law of the sea, Prescott on maritime boundaries, Bergin on coastal surveillance, Phillips on the role of the Commonwealth Scientific and Research Organization Industrial (CSIRO), and Harrison on Tasmanian resources. Part II (Antarctic Policy) international Brennan on has developments, Suter on public policy, Caro on the role of science, Lewis on the citizen, research and conservation, and Cameron on petroleum potential. Brennan’s articles are exemplary, prepared ‘through the eyes of a lawyer’ and with the experience of having led Australia’s delegations to the UN Conference on the Law of the Sea.
MARINEPOLICYOctober1983
with which many hope the new
of
The articles should have been supplemented with contributions prepared through the eyes of an economist and through the eyes of a scientist. These cont~butions would have provided a practical appreciation of what is likely to happen, thus evaluating the likely effect of legal aspirations and possibilities. The rights of coastal states, the benefits to developing states, and the di~emination of the results of science are relevant in this regard. Also, the ecosystem approach to the conservation of living Antarctic resources has international importance extending beyond intergovernmental discussion. Prescott’s article is autho~tative and helpful and exemplifies the difficulties which arise when baselines are not accurately settled. Bergin is informative
about the enormity of the problem Australia faces in attempting surveillance, but the topic is not really germane to the central issues of policy. Phillips describes the important living resources, both actual and potential, and outlines their distribution, size and management. Although he sometimes confuses catch with stock, this is a useful exposition. In a very good article Harrison gives the history of Tasmania’s living resources policies, including their relation to the Antarctic. I+rticularly useful is his resume of Commonwealth-State cooperation. A similar effort for the whole of Australia would be valuable. Suter’s contribution ranges over many fields, overlapping with most of the other authors. Unlike them, he is careless with his facts, presentation and interpretation. Car0 gives a general presentation on science and Antarctic policy, but regrettably is mistaken in his views on sovereignty (p 141) and the state of Australian oceanography (p 148). Lewis provides a magazine-type presentation of public interest groups’ reactions to Antarctica. Cameron’s authoritative geological article is a revised version of a previous paper. On the whole the volume is an important contribution. The matters necessary for an understanding of Australia’s present attitudes and future problems are covered in the good articles which have bibliographies pointing the path to detailed understanding.
G.F. ~umph~y CSIRO Marine Biochemistry Unit Sydney, Australia
Conferences Marine Policy welcomes information on forthcoming conferences, seminars and courses for listing in the Calendar. Short reports of meetings are also welcomed. Inquiries should be addressed to the Mana~ng Editor, Marine Policy, Buttexworth Scientific, PO Box 63, Westbury House, Bury Street, Guildford GU2 5BH.
319