Modernizing Maritime Laws: Protecting Undersea Infrastructure

Estonian Justice Minister Liisa Pakosta urges updating maritime law to protect undersea infrastructure after recent cable damages between Estonia and Finland. Estonia plans to propose changes to the International Maritime Organization to cover underwater damage, aiming to prevent disputes and enhance security measures.

The Estonian Justice Minister, Liisa Pakosta, has called for an urgent update to international maritime laws in the wake of recent damages to undersea cables connecting Estonia and Finland. She argues for modernized rules to prevent further incidents and enhance protection of vital infrastructure.

This week, Finnish authorities seized a Russian oil-carrying ship in the Baltic Sea, suspecting it caused an outage of a power cable and damaged internet lines. The Estonian navy quickly responded by protecting a parallel power line, while the government plans to apply to the International Maritime Organization to amend current laws.

Existing laws, according to Pakosta, inadequately address underwater damage, unlike surface issues like piracy. This gap means involved parties often face unresolved disputes. Estonia's proposal emphasizes legal clarity to reduce international disagreements and establish stronger regulations for undersea infrastructure protection.

(With inputs from agencies.)