Appreciating the precautionary principle as an ethical evolution in ocean management

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Abstract
Modern oceanic policies have begun to embrace the precautionary principle in regime formation. The debate as to the usefulness of the doctrine is voluminous and invariably centers around its dubious potential as an effective international policy tool. The debate appears irreversibly polarized and reflects the misunderstanding many scholars and policymakers have when confronted with new environmental doctrines: lost in the debate over attempting to “define”; the precautionary principle is the question of “why”; the doctrine figures prominently in today's international community. With a clearer understanding of the theoretical foundations of the precautionary principle, future oceanic regimes will apply the doctrine with a fuller appreciation as to what it is subtly signifying—a change in the international ethical order. Initially such changes within international policy processes are indiscernible, yet when recognized they prove to have profound implications for the future of international management regimes.

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