Sanna Sonninen: Baltic Sea, "Our Ocean, Our Obligation, Our Opportunity"

Part of the title is borrowed from the International Maritime Organization's (IMO) World Maritime Day theme for 2025. This theme "Our Ocean, Our Obligation, Our Opportunity" emphasizes the global importance of oceans. The ocean is indispensable for the continued existence of humanity, as it produces half of the planet's oxygen and provides food, jobs, and recreation for a large portion of the world's population, fostering economic growth. It also regulates the planet's climate by absorbing carbon dioxide and heat, mitigating the impacts of climate change. Protecting the ocean is essential for the well-being and survival of humanity and the stability of Earth's ecosystems. Shipping, as the largest user of ocean space, naturally plays a central role in managing and protecting ocean resources.

Our ocean, our mare nostrum, the Baltic Sea, is our opportunity, and it is our obligation to ensure its well-being and prosperity. After last decades of positive development, new threats are emerging while we are still struggling with old challenges. We must act to preserve our sea, fulfil our obligations, and seize the opportunities our beautiful Baltic Sea creates for us. However, our existing methods are no longer sufficient. International agreements, cooperation, and stakeholder-driven sustainability efforts have formed the foundation, but we now urgently need new measures, as these aims and values are no longer universally shared.

It is crucial to assess the applicability of the international legal framework, particularly UNCLOS, in ensuring the protection of navigation safety, the marine environment, and submarine infrastructure. Legal options must be explored to take action against vessels suspected of causing damage. Additionally, we should evaluate the current safety regime, regulations, and systems to determine how they can be further developed to enhance future safety measures. These efforts should aim to protect our sea and prevent both intentional and accidental damage to assets such as submarine infrastructure.

Maritime transport is inherently international, which is why the requirements for vessels engaged in international shipping are primarily based on regulations developed by the International Maritime Organization (IMO). Among the IMO conventions containing technical requirements for ships, the most significant are the SOLAS and MARPOL conventions, which apply to vessels in international traffic.

The primary method of ensuring safety at sea is through compliance with internationally agreed regulations. This is achieved through mandatory periodic surveys conducted on vessels to ensure that their structure, machinery, and equipment comply with safety regulations (SOLAS Convention) and pollution prevention requirements (MARPOL Convention). IMO member states are responsible for conducting these surveys, with the flag state overseeing the process. In practice, classification societies usually carry out these inspections on behalf of the flag state. Following the survey, the shipping company is responsible for maintaining the vessel and its equipment in accordance with convention requirements.

The secondary method of ensuring compliance is through port state control (PSC) inspections, conducted in ports or, in some cases, at anchorages in the territorial waters of the port state. PSC inspections create an international monitoring system where each country inspects foreign vessels visiting its ports. The SOLAS and MARPOL conventions grant port states the right and obligation to conduct these inspections, and the EU also has regulations governing them.

The frequency and scope of a PSC inspection depend on the ship's risk classification. High-risk ships undergo more detailed inspections. If deficiencies are found, the port state control authority, such as Traficom in Finland, may suspend the vessel’s operation until the issues are resolved. In severe cases, the ship may be denied port access or expelled, as seen in the Eagle S PSC inspection.

Both flag state surveys and port state control inspections aim to ensure that vessels and their crews comply with international agreements. Additionally, Baltic Sea coastal states have implemented measures to support safe navigation, such as mandatory ship reporting systems, vessel traffic services (VTS), and routing measures, including traffic lanes, separation schemes, deep-water routes, and precautionary areas. Compliance is monitored, and non-compliance is reported. However, as with surveys and inspections, gaps remain, allowing those who wish to ignore safety regulations to do so.

Ships are inspected, their movements monitored, and navigation safety measures provided. Aids to navigation, particularly lighthouses and racons, have guided mariners for centuries. However, with the advent of global satellite positioning (GPS) and the broader Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS), traditional navigation methods based on visual observations and radar have been overshadowed. Ships are now designed, systems developed, and navigators trained with the assumption that GNSS alone can ensure safe navigation under all conditions. This reliance is problematic, as maritime digitalization—including S-100 products for onboard Electronic Chart Display and Information Systems (ECDIS)—is based on GNSS. The geopolitical situation has exposed the system’s vulnerability, highlighting the power of those who disregard international agreements. The standards and regulations for GNSS are agreed upon in the IMO, the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), and the International Maritime Satellite Organization (IMSO).

Last autumn, I stated that maritime safety in the Gulf of Finland was at its weakest since the war due to the shadow fleet and GNSS interference. The risks posed by the shadow fleet are increasing, but the GNSS interference in the Gulf of Finland has somewhat subsided. However, we should not assume that interference will not continue or escalate. The previous interference was self-protective, but deliberate interference in the future could have far more severe consequences.

Threats are becoming more diverse, and future developments are difficult to predict. The current international maritime safety system relies on maritime nations and commercial stakeholders complying with international regulations. Increasing non-compliance is creating parallel maritime systems, where ships are registered in states that are not IMO members and therefore do not adhere to IMO conventions. Some member states also choose to ignore convention requirements.

The shift away from a rules-based global order is dividing global shipping into two increasingly distinct regimes. While part of the world remains committed to protecting the marine environment and enhancing maritime safety, recognizing the vital role of shipping in society and economic stability, others engage in increasingly reckless behaviour driven by self-interest. In this fragmented reality, fostering international cooperation, setting global standards, and advancing ocean science, efforts led by the United Nations through the IMO, will become ever more challenging.