An International Regime for Marine Scientific Research

This book provides a comprehensive and multidisciplinary study of the International Regime for Marine Scientific Research. The author examines lingering North-South disagreements on the scope of regulation -- how these are exacerbated by unprecedented marine science, methodology and technological developments -- and explores means to encourage greater MSR co-operation and negotiation. In investigating the fascinating field of marine biomedical research and bio-prospecting, the book underscores the convergence of domestic laws in different continents, the Law of the Sea Convention, the Convention on Biological Diversity, and TRIPS under the WTO regime. It shows how bio-genetic and biological research can lead to the development of a multi-billion dollar industry in pharmacological drugs and other products in developed States; and it assesses the economic rights that accrue to developing nations in whose jurisdictional waters bio-prospecting takes place.