An emerging set of maritime security challenges, including cyber threats and the targeting of undersea cables, is joining the traditional threats of terrorism, piracy, and smuggling, according to Dr Christian Bueger, Professor of International Relations at the University of Copenhagen.
Speaking at the Aman Dialogue in Karachi as part of the multinational naval Exercise Aman, Bueger said there are a number of established challenges in the Indian Ocean, including the smuggling of narcotics, illicit fishing, the renaissance of Somali piracy and so on.
New vulnerabilities are emerging, as indicated by recent events such as the Evergreen accident impacting the world economy, and the sinking of the Rubymar by the Houthis in March 2024 – the vessel damaged subsea data cables when it sank. Increasing activity at sea will see more such events in the future, Bueger cautioned.
With the new set of maritime security issues, there is a lack of consensus on their definition, prioritisation, and ability of the law to address them, Bueger said. He provided a list of the emerging issues, including shadow fleets; warfare at sea and attacks on merchant shipping by armed groups; the proliferation of low-cost weapon systems; the return of sea mines; using civilian vessels for military purposes; maritime cyber security attacks; the vulnerability of digital communications and subsea data cables; seabed security and mining disputes; artificial intelligence and autonomous vessels; environmental security; climate change; human rights at sea; and passenger ship security.
New technologies like artificial intelligence and drone technology are game changers, he said, while climate and biodiversity loss are equally important as they pose challenges for maritime security. These come amid rising geopolitical challenges.
Many of the emerging maritime security threats are hidden, yet they can do a lot of damage. “A good example is violation of environmental regulations such as deliberate pollution, waste, ballast water, deliberate oil and chemical spills, and human rights violations and modern slavery aboard fishing vessels,” Bueger said.
There is an urgent and pressing need to look at the maritime cyber security agenda – many countries are not prepared, Bueger said, and there needs to be common strategies and agenda to address this.
With regard to subsea communication, the majority of international data transfer is done through subsea cables, not satellites, thus “we are going to see more and more infrastructure being built at sea and we ned to ask how we are going to protect this,” Bueger told Dialogue attendees.
Another question is who will protect the new marine protected areas in international waters that are being proposed. This job will likely fall to the navies of the future, Bueger said.
These and other issues were being discussed at the maiden Aman Dialogue, held on 9 and 10 February in Karachi as part of the multinational naval Exercise Aman 2025. The ninth edition, involving 60 nations and over a dozen international warships, runs from 7 to 11 February.
Guy Martin is in Pakistan as a guest of the Pakistan Navy.
