Third world states and fluid sovereignty: development options and the politics of sustainable ocean management

As land resources become exhausted or less valuable, Third World states are integrating coastal and marine regions into their development strategies. Given current industrial practice, increased development in these regions have negative environmental consequences, and there is increasing pressure to address these. Third World states’ management of their marine and coastal areas is shaped by factors such as fugitive resources, changing or indeterminate marine boundaries, economic vulnerability and evolving environmental regimes. These factors contribute to fluid sovereignty and affect states’ ability to exercise authority, autonomy and control. This paper uses the case of the Wider Caribbean Region to illustrate that the net result of fluid sovereignty is diminished ability to sustainably manage ocean and coastal resources.