The ocean covers 70% of the Earth’s surface. Much of it is known as the high seas, where many countries and companies carry out diverse activities. Consequently, a great many international issues and incidents related to the sea are in fact occurring. How do news organizations report to us on the problems taking place in the oceans, which should be regarded as a common resource of humanity? This article explores Japanese reporting on the oceans.

The Constitution of the Sea

Before getting into the main topic, let’s first confirm what kind of waters the “high seas” are. According to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, often called the “constitution of the oceans,” which sets out various rules regarding the sea, the high seas are the waters that are outside every country’s exclusive economic zone (EEZ) and territorial sea. Unlike EEZs and territorial seas, no state’s sovereignty extends over the high seas themselves. Accordingly, on the high seas all states are permitted to act freely, so long as they give due regard to the rights of other states. Nevertheless, disputes between states frequently arise over the boundaries between EEZs and the high seas. Moreover, because the high seas have these characteristics, the fact that many countries engage in diverse activities based on the “principle of the freedom of the high seas” gives rise to a range of international problems on the high seas. Let us examine these in more detail in the next section.

Marine environmental issues

Many environmental problems are occurring in the oceans, and various international efforts are underway. Sea-level rise is one such problem. Rising ocean and air temperatures due to global warming are melting glaciers in Antarctica and Greenland, causing sea levels to rise. In 2014, sea level reached its highest point since satellite records began in 1993, rising by about 6.6 cm compared with 1993. At present, sea level is said to be continuing to rise by about 3.2 mm each year. In small island nations, the impacts of sea-level rise are devastating. In the Solomon Islands, a nation of hundreds of islands, five islands have already vanished due to rising seas and erosion. Even where islands have not completely sunk, there are islands where rising seas have destroyed farmland and living environments, forcing residents to relocate. The impacts of sea-level rise extend not only to island nations but also to coastal regions of many countries. It has been pointed out that higher sea levels exacerbate flood and storm-surge damage during storms. These environmental problems may already be advancing to a stage beyond our control. Some recent studies even report that, even if we are able to curb climate change, sea-level rise can no longer be stopped.

Melting Arctic ice Photo: Christopher Michel / Flickr [CC BY 2.0]

International issues at sea are not limited to warming. Marine pollution is also worsening and drawing international attention. It is said that every year 10–20 million tons of waste is dumped into the ocean, most of it plastic. The total mass of plastic fragments in the world’s oceans is estimated to be 269,000 tons. These floating plastics are not only pieces large enough to see with the naked eye; they also include extremely small microplastics, sometimes called “mermaid’s tears.” Microplastics originate from a variety of sources. Some are microbeads contained in soap, toothpaste, or cosmetics that are carried to the sea; others form when large plastic items dumped into the ocean are broken down by waves into smaller pieces. Birds and fish can mistake such plastic debris for food, putting marine life directly at risk. There is also concern that phytoplankton and other organisms that ingest microplastics are then consumed by other marine life, allowing microplastics to enter bodies up the food chain.

Pollution at sea is not caused by plastic waste alone. Oil pollution is also a major marine issue. Many people associate oil pollution with oil spills from ship accidents. However, such accidents account for only about 10% of oil pollution. The largest source is said to be oil runoff from land, stemming from used gasoline and industrial waste, among other sources. Like plastic pollution, oil pollution harms marine life.

Trash washed ashore on a sandy beach Photo: The Photographer / wikimedia commons [CC BY-SA 3.0]

Beyond pollution, overfishing is also threatening the marine environment. It is estimated that the current number of fishing vessels is about 2–4 times what would be required for sustainable fishing. Why has overfishing become so severe? One reason is the lack of regulation on fishing—particularly pronounced on the high seas. Illegal fishing is also cited as a cause. It is estimated that illegal fishing amounts to between US$10 billion and US$24 billion annually. Because of such overfishing, species such as tuna are being pushed to the brink of extinction. Moreover, the decline of species like tuna, which occupy the upper levels of the food chain, disrupts the balance of marine life, which in turn can reduce the numbers of smaller organisms lower down the food chain and hinder the growth of seaweed and coral reefs—developments that are cause for concern.

Large numbers of tuna lined up in a market Photo: Stewart Butterfield / Flickr [CC BY 2.0]

Security at sea

There are also many security issues on the high seas. Disputes over maritime areas are one example. The South China Sea is the most prominent case, with multiple countries asserting partial or comprehensive sovereignty (details below).

The Arctic is also becoming a complex issue. As global warming melts ice and new sea lanes are being developed, situations involving multiple states are arising not only over those routes but also over the mineral resources lying beneath the ice. There are several other disputes over the high seas as well.

Another problem is piracy. Piracy, which was thought to have declined since 2009, has begun to increase again. It is a major problem off Somalia, a key trade route, as well as in the Malacca Strait in Asia and in West Africa. In the Malacca Strait, the number of piracy incidents in 2017 increased compared to 2016, it has been reported. As part of anti-piracy measures, security companies are hired, but taking advantage of the freedom of the high seas, large floating armories deemed for security purposes have been set up at sea, and these have been called into question. Human-rights issues related to fishing are also arising. There are still countries where forced labor and human trafficking occur at sea. The refugee issue is another problem that cannot be ignored. In just the first half of January 2018, nearly 200 people are said to have died in the Mediterranean while heading for Europe. In addition, drugs, weapons, and other items restricted by economic sanctions are also transported on the high seas.

A ship conducting law enforcement against pirates Photo: U.S. Navy

How is it reported in Japan?

As we have seen, a variety of international issues arise on the vast oceans. So how does Japanese media report on international issues at sea? Below, we analyze Japanese international reporting on the oceans in 2016.

The combined total number of international news articles (morning editions) in 2016 used in this study from the Asahi, Yomiuri, and Mainichi newspapers was 17,501 (※1). Of these, we defined as “ocean-related reporting” stories related to the aforementioned issues occurring at sea, as well as reports on events that occurred on the high seas, and analyzed the 468 relevant articles. Please see the chart below.

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As the chart shows, the majority of ocean-related coverage concerns the South China Sea. Although there was substantial international reporting on refugees, much of it dealt with national policies on accepting refugees, and the number of stories about issues affecting refugees at sea, particularly in the Mediterranean, remained low. The “Other” category in the chart included reports on the Black Sea, the East China Sea, the South Pacific, and waters around Hawaii, but each had only one article—a very small number. Moreover, except for the South Pacific, all coverage of maritime areas other than the South China Sea concerned the movements of other countries’ navies (the South Pacific piece was about an earthquake). Reporting on fisheries and marine environmental issues was very limited throughout the year, suggesting these topics are not treated as important in Japan. Thus it is clear that Japanese ocean coverage is extremely concentrated on the South China Sea. Below we consider why coverage in Japan is so skewed.

Why does the South China Sea draw attention?

The South China Sea, especially around the Spratly Islands, is believed to hold abundant resources. Consequently, many East Asian countries—China, Vietnam, the Philippines, Taiwan, Malaysia, and Brunei—are competing by asserting rights in the South China Sea. Japan is not directly involved in these disputes over rights. However, that Japan is paying close attention to other countries’ moves is clear from the skewed coverage noted above. In particular, Japanese policymakers are closely watching China’s actions in the South China Sea, considering that territorial disputes there could affect Japan’s own territorial issues with China. The media coverage also shows how conscious Japan is of China. Of the 2016 international stories, there were 424 on the South China Sea, and fully 306 of them were related to China. It is likely that the sheer volume of coverage stems from Japan’s viewing China’s growing power in the South China Sea as a threat.

Warships conducting training in the South China Sea Photo: U.S. Pacific Command [CC BY-NC-ND 2.0]

Is there only one sea?

The threat Japan perceives from China—this is what is producing the skew in reporting on the oceans. It is true that the South China Sea issue has major implications for Japan’s security and attracts attention from other countries. But should we continue the kind of reporting that is so single-mindedly concentrated on the South China Sea? Shouldn’t sea-level rise due to warming, marine pollution, and ecosystem destruction from overfishing also receive attention? There are many maritime security issues outside the South China Sea as well. Some of these issues may already have advanced beyond human control. We need to consider what we can do before it is too late. Yet isn’t skewed coverage depriving us of the chance to think through solutions to such urgent challenges? The vast oceans cover most of the planet. The sea, a resource shared by all humanity, is of course not just the South China Sea. To pass on beautiful oceans to future generations, we hope the media will fulfill its role.

※1 See “GNV Data Analysis Method [PDF]”

Writer: Tomoko Kitamura

Graphics: Tomoko Kitamura