On World Ocean Day June 8, U.S. Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland issued Secretary’s Order 3407, which aims to reduce the procurement, sale and distribution of single-use plastic products and packaging with a goal of phasing out single-use plastic products on Department-managed lands by 2032. The Order is part of the implementation of President Biden’s Executive Order 14057, which calls for federal agencies to minimize waste and support markets for recycled products.

The Order also directs the Department to identify nonhazardous, environmentally preferable alternatives to single-use plastic products, such as compostable or biodegradable materials, or 100 percent recycled materials. Single-use plastic products include plastic and polystyrene food and beverage containers, bottles, straws, cups, cutlery and disposable plastic bags that are designed for or intended to be used once and discarded.

“The Interior Department has an obligation to play a leading role in reducing the impact of plastic waste on our ecosystems and our climate. As the steward of the nation’s public lands, including national parks and national wildlife refuges, and as the agency responsible for the conservation and management of fish, wildlife, plants and their habitats, we are uniquely positioned to do better for our Earth,” said Secretary Haaland.

“Today’s Order will ensure that the Department’s sustainability plans include bold action on phasing out single-use plastic products as we seek to protect our natural environment and the communities around them.”

Plastic waste is a priority environmental problem. Less than 10 percent of the plastic that has ever been produced has been recycled, and recycling rates are not increasing. Plastics, including unnecessary and easily substituted single-use plastic products, are devastating fish and wildlife around the world.

The ocean is downstream of all pollution sources and bears the brunt of the impacts: of the more than 300 million tons of plastic produced every year for use in a wide variety of applications, at least 14 million tons of plastic end up in the ocean every year and plastic makes up 80 percent of all marine debris found from surface waters to deep-sea sediments.

Marine species ingest or are entangled by plastic debris, which causes severe injuries and death, and plastic pollution threatens food safety and quality, human health, coastal tourism, and contributes to climate change.

Bags made of paper, bioplastics and composite can replace single use plastic bags, as can reusable cloth or thicker plastic alternatives. Bottles made of bio-based plastic, glass and aluminum, and laminated cartons can replace single use plastic bottles, as can reusable bottles made of glass, aluminum or stainless steel.

Similar materials can replace single use plastic in food packaging, beverage cups, tableware, and other products, giving the Interior Department a range of options to consider in this effort to account for the variety of geographic locations and social contexts in which Departmental facilities operate.

Explosive Ordinance Disposal Mobile Unit (EODMU) 3 Sailors embarked on the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72), conducted a helicopter visit, board, search and seizure training aboard the Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Dewey (DDG 105) in conjunction with Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron (HSC) 14 and Helicopter Maritime Strike Squadron (HSM) 71 to enhance maritime interdiction operations (MIO) skillsets.

“Maritime security and interdiction operations showcase the U.S. Navy’s capability and willingness to protect the lawful uses of the sea and deter illicit activity,” said Rear Adm. J.T. Anderson, commander, Carrier Strike Group (CSG) 3. “These operations are designed to enhance and sustain our proficiency while visibly countering malign influence, especially in vital areas of international maritime trade.”

EODMU 3 platoon 322 led the training after fast-roping onto Dewey’s flight deck to tactically secure the vessel, search for and respond to realistic improvised explosive devices (IEDs) found during MIOs.

“This type of multi-unit integration training is essential to ensure the successful execution of expeditionary maritime interdiction operations,” said Explosive Ordnance Disposal 1st Class Zach Dorfman.

“Together with HSC-14 and HSM-71, we rehearse these scenarios while deployed to 7th Fleet in order to refine our tactics, techniques, procedures and interoperability. This event was a culmination of the hard work that the team has put in over the last few months to demonstrate our ability to respond to any emergent threat in the region.”

Sailors attached to this unit are tasked with responding to reports of IEDs from any of the ship’s VBSS teams conducting MIOs in the ABECSG.

Abraham Lincoln Carrier Strike Group (ABECSG) is on a scheduled deployment in the U.S. 7th Fleet area of operations to enhance interoperability through alliances and partnerships while serving as a ready-response force in support of a free and open Indo-Pacific region.

Lloyd’s Register (“LR”), a global provider of maritime professional services, has acquired OneOcean, a leading supplier of voyage compliance, safety and environmental solutions, from Equistone Partners Europe (“Equistone”), a leading European mid-market private equity firm.

This move will accelerate LR’s ambitions to be the maritime industry’s trusted adviser for compliance, safety, performance and sustainability solutions, enabling clients to benefit from more efficient, cleaner & safer operations.

The pedigree of OneOcean will expand and considerably complement LR’s existing digital solutions, including fleet management (Hanseaticsoft) and vessel performance and optimisation (i4 Insight, C-MAP Commercial and Greensteam) portfolios.

OneOcean solutions are currently used by more than 16,000 vessels to support and optimise compliance, safety and environment, increasing transparency and simplifying complex regulations and tasks to enable teams to work more transparently for efficiency and enhanced decision making.

OneOcean was created by the merger of ChartCo, in which Equistone first invested in 2016, and Marine Press in 2019. With Equistone’s support, OneOcean has changed and grown rapidly, with four acquisitions, two divestments, a merger and a complete cultural change from product distributor to leading-edge software solutions provider.

LR Group CEO Nick Brown said: “The acquisition of OneOcean propels LR to the position of a leading digital player in the maritime industry enabling clients to make better commercial day-to-day decisions, reducing risks, improving operation efficiencies and critically meeting complex maritime regulatory requirements. We recognise that there has never been a more pressing need for specialist maritime advisers to guide and support clients through the fundamental changes they face, helping to define the route to compliance, operational efficiency, sustainability and competitive agility. With this acquisition, LR will be an even more valuable partner to our clients.”

Martin Taylor, CEO of OneOcean said: “We are really looking forward to working with Nick and his team to create a catalyst for change in an industry that needs to adapt as rapidly as when coal replaced sails. OneOcean has grown phenomenally over the last 20 years to be a clear market leader, now joining the LR family provides a fantastic home for the next chapter of growth. Together we have the scale, reputation and expertise – combining both digital and advisory capabilities – to meet the challenges faced by the industry. This is an exciting move for OneOcean, LR and the wider maritime community.”

Tim Swales, Partner at Equistone, said: “This business has undergone remarkable transformation and growth over the past six years, since we first invested in ChartCo and then supported the formation of OneOcean through the merger with Marine Press. Martin and his team have built a high-quality business that is in the vanguard of the marine industry’s shift towards digital solutions, and it has been a pleasure to work with them. In Lloyd’s Register we are confident we have found the right partner to support OneOcean through this next stage of its growth.”

The deal is subject to regulatory clearance and is expected to be complete by the end of the summer.

Working with like-minded is fine, but working open-mindedly is more important. The Quad’s attempt to promote Maritime Domain Awareness and reduce illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing in the Indo-Pacific region should involve an inclusive conversation with China.

Perhaps the most substantial development of the third Quad Leaders’ Summit in Tokyo on 24 May was the launch of the maritime security initiative, the Indo-Pacific Partnership for Maritime Domain Awareness (IPMDA). In the eyes of the Quad nations, this collaboration can craft a public good that serves their shared interests and benefit smaller states in the Indo-Pacific region in the security and environmental domains. However, China tends to believe that the IPMDA is created to target itself exclusively, viewing the initiative as an avatar of “small cliques” politics. That is, certain countries are intentionally grouped to produce a shared sense of “selfness” to disconnect and alienate the third parties (the otherness).

One of the key objectives of the IPMDA is to keep track of suspicious vessels that turn off their tracking transponders for conducting illicit activities. To achieve this, the Quad will use an Automatic Identification System and radio-frequency technologies to collect commercially-available data that can be provided to potential partners. Four existing information fusion centres will be integrated and extended, which are located in India, Singapore, the Solomon Islands, and Vanuatu. Though unstated, the main target of this initiative appears to be China, which America has accused of being the largest exploiter of global fishing that is responsible for 95 percent of IUU fishing in the Indo-Pacific region.

The Chinese Response

Unsurprisingly, this allegation was quickly rebutted by both Chinese government and academics. In the Regular Press Conference, Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Wang Wenbin responded that China “actively upholds the UN-centred international system” and abides by “relevant international law”. Chinese academics contend that the US is using disinformation to delegitimise China’s maritime actions in the Indo-Pacific region.

China’s reactions can be understood in two aspects: one emotional and one rational. From an emotional perspective, either the state or society in China shows an aversion toward “small cliques” politics, which they think might generate an unjust binary image between the West and China. This division endows the West with a sense of superiority but exclusively categorises China as an inferior position. This dichotomy is mutually dangerous because the West may misjudge China based on who it is rather than what it did, and China may dismiss constructive criticisms from the West.

From a practical viewpoint, China worries about two real-world impacts resulting from the IPMDA. First, framing China as a threat further stains China’s international reputation, which can negatively shape how others view and behave toward China. Second, the data-sharing mechanism that the IPMDA enables has security concerns. Though at this stage, only commercial data will be shared, this mechanism is technically applicable in the political and military arena. This has the potential to undermine China’s strategic interests, particularly regarding China’s maritime militia issue.

Although the US’s accusations and China’s rebuttals both encompass a certain degree of politicised rhetoric, the statistics present that China has a poor performance in fishing activities. A report by the Congressional Research Service indicated that according to the Global Initiative Against Transnational Crime, a non-government organisation, China was identified as the worst-scoring coastal country in IUU fishing. However, a media analysis project conducted by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) showed that China’s performance might not be the most notorious: among 329 verified media-reported illegal-fishing incidents in the Asian Pacific region from 1 January 2015 until 15 August 2019, persons of Chinese nationality were only involved in 19 cases, ranking fourth in the region.

The Rationale of Chinese Participation

Undeniably, China has the world’s largest fishing fleet, and so it might logically follow that they are responsible for a substantial portion of IUU fishing. However, China’s substantial maritime presence also makes them a key actor in combatting IUU fishing. China is likely to join not because it is benign or moral, but because of a demand for modernisation and a desire to improve its international image. In reality, Beijing has taken concrete steps to combat IUU fishing, such as reducing government subsidies, mandating the installation of vessel monitoring systems, providing crew and skippers’ training, and imposing fishing bans. These practices, as the FAO reported, have apparently reduced China’s catches and fishing vessels and generated a global impact. But there are problems around under-reporting and regional disputes over some Chinese measures, which require multilateral negotiations.

China has no reason to refuse a neutral invitation to jointly resolve IUU fishing, even if it comes from the Quad. “If the IPMDA is a public good, why does it exclusively target China? ” said Hu Bo, Professor for Maritime Strategy Studies at Peking University and Director of the South China Sea Strategic Situation Probing Initiative. Indeed, working with like-minded states is normal, but tackling international problems and promoting global peace requires leaping out of the comfort zone to work open-mindedly and creatively.

If the Quad creates a public good that contributes to regional polarisation, smaller powers are unlikely to actively engage because hedging between great powers is safer for them to survive. This is evident in the case of the Solomon Islands, which has one of the data fusion centres under the IPMDA initiative but also signed a security pact with China. With an open mindset, Solomon Islands can be the middle ground to strike a dialogue between the Quad and China. From a normative lens, the Quad is wiser to facilitate conversation rather than intensify confrontation. A conversation is an antidote to preconceived ideas and can coexist with competition.

Rebecca (Yancheng) Zhang is a fourth-year student at the University of Sydney majoring in International Relations and Education. She is currently undertaking an honours year writing her thesis on potential cross-strait conflict. Rebecca is a research assistant at Intellisia Institute where she writes a series of reports and commentaries on AI politics, data governance, Taiwan politics, and US-China relations. She is also a member of the CISS Youth project at the Centre for International Security and Strategy, Tsinghua University. Her research interests revolve around Taiwan politics, political theory, war and justice and AI and politics as well as Indo-Pacific geopolitics.
Rebecca is an intern with the Australian Institute of International Affairs NSW.

Rear Admiral (Rear Adm.) Ann Phillips, USN, Ret., has been confirmed and sworn in as the 20th Administrator of the Maritime Administration (MARAD). Nominated by President Biden on October 21, 2021, Rear Adm. Phillips was confirmed by the U.S. Senate on May 10, 2022. She is the first woman to lead MARAD as administrator.

“From her distinguished naval service to her leadership on coastal infrastructure, Rear Admiral Ann Phillips has championed America’s maritime sector throughout her career,” said Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg. “Her experience and expertise will be invaluable as we address supply chain bottlenecks, implement the maritime investments in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, ensure the safety and success of midshipmen at the Merchant Marine Academy, and combat climate change in the maritime sector. I thank Deputy Administrator Lucinda Lessley for her tremendous service guiding MARAD as Acting Administrator and look forward to all that she and Ann will accomplish together at the agency in the years ahead.”

As head of the Maritime Administration, Phillips will advise the Secretary of Transportation on commercial maritime matters, to include the movement of goods, supply chain, as well as the U.S. maritime industry, environment and compliance, ports and waterways infrastructure, and strategic sealift. She will engage public and private stakeholders in the maritime industry and oversee the U.S Merchant Marine Academy.

Phillips will also oversee MARAD’s programs to improve and modernize the nation’s maritime network by administering the unprecedented investment in our ports and waterways made possible by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, including $2.25 billion to be awarded over the next five years through our Port Infrastructure Development Program and $25 million for the America’s Marine Highway Program.

“It’s an honor to work alongside the professionals who make up the MARAD team, and, to serve the American people, Secretary Buttigieg and the Biden-Harris Administration,” said Administrator Phillips. “I understand the critical role that our commercial Merchant Marine plays in our national and economic security. In my nearly 31-year Navy career, I have witnessed many of the challenges facing our maritime sector and look forward to working with my colleagues to address them. This is an exciting time for MARAD as we work to expand and strengthen America’s waterborne transportation system and workforce.”

Phillips served most recently as Special Assistant to the Governor for Coastal Adaptation and Protection, Commonwealth of Virginia, developing Virginia’s first Coastal Resilience Master Plan. Prior to her appointment to the Office of the Governor, she served nearly 31 years on active duty and has extensive experience operating with multi-national maritime forces, including NATO and Partnership for Peace nations, and serving overseas in Guam and Lisbon, Portugal.

Her final flag command, Expeditionary Strike Group TWO, included 14 ships and 10 subordinate commands – all the Amphibious Expeditionary Forces on the East Coast of the United States. Earlier she served on the Chief of Naval Operations’ Staff as Deputy Director and then Director of Surface Warfare Division. Previous to those positions, she had the honor to commission and command the USS MUSTIN (DDG 89), and to command Destroyer Squadron 28.