Problems and processes of restricting navigation in particularly sensitive sea areas

Particularly Sensitive Sea Areas (PSSAs) are a form of marine conservation measure established by the International Maritime Organization (IMO) to protect the marine environment against damage caused by navigation. The politicisation of the PSSA designation process and the shortcomings of the 2015 IMO Revised Guidelines for the Identification and Designation of PSSAs have been inimical to improving the PSSA regime. This article first examines the law and practice of PSSAs and discusses the shortcomings of the 2005 Guidelines. It then explores how politicisation outside and inside the IMO has aggravated the institutional weaknesses of the PSSA regime in three aspects: the relationships between Associated Protective Measures (APMs) and existing navigational measures; the links between the ecosystems and PSSAs; and the lack of stringent APMs.