ABSTRACT
A proper balance of environmental considerations in the development of ocean-related activities is not only beneficial for the ecology of the oceans and the coastal regions, but also leads to sustainable business opportunities. To obtain such a balance, properly analyzed information on techno-business opportunities is crucial.
Seventy percent of all the pollution in the sea is from the land, and practically all land-generated waste that reaches the sea enters within a few tens of kilometers from the coast. Pollution from agrochemicals and industrial waste is carried by the rivers, and discharges of municipal and other waste from pipelines are at the most a few kilometers offshore, and dumping by barge disposal is mainly on the continental shelf. Naturally, the impact of waste disposal on the coastline where so much of the world's population lives can be unacceptable to the population living near the coast.
Legal aspects must be clarified through universal participation in the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea. The present state of uncertainty inhibits investment in ocean resource utilization. Fresh consideration should be given to using the oceans for properly engineered waste disposal and storage. with safeguards against unacceptable environmental degradation. Public opinion must be convinced of the relative safety and desirability of the ocean option. The UN, through UNCLOS, could achieve income from licensing and fees for waste disposal and storage in the international zone.
