Full Text Available
Note: Clicking the button above will open the full text document at the original institutional repository in a new window.
Safeguarding the deep-Sea Marine ecosystem: a critical analysis of the legal framework governing the impacts of the upstream Petroleum Sector on the deep-sea marine ecosystems and coastal communities in South Africa
The deep sea is a vast and largely unexplored environment, home to unique and diverse marine ecosystems. However, the increasing global demand for oil and gas has led to a surge in extraction activities in the deep ocean. These activities while essential for meeting energy demands, pose significant...
Saved in:
| Main Author: | |
|---|---|
| Other Authors: | |
| Format: | Thesis |
| Language: | English English |
| Published: |
Institute of Marine and Environmental Law
2026
|
| Subjects: | |
| Tags: |
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| _version_ | 1867613186948071424 |
|---|---|
| access_status_str | Open Access |
| author | Sehlabo, Mpho Lydia |
| author2 | Mostert, Hanri |
| author_browse | Mostert, Hanri Sehlabo, Mpho Lydia |
| author_facet | Mostert, Hanri Sehlabo, Mpho Lydia |
| author_sort | Sehlabo, Mpho Lydia |
| collection | Thesis |
| description | The deep sea is a vast and largely unexplored environment, home to unique and diverse marine ecosystems. However, the increasing global demand for oil and gas has led to a surge in extraction activities in the deep ocean. These activities while essential for meeting energy demands, pose significant threats to the fragile deep-sea ecosystems. These ecosystems distinctive biodiversity which includes indigenous habitats and species are at risk from disruptions brought on by oil and gas exploration survey, drilling, and pollution. It has been demonstrated that the deep-sea marine ecosystems physical, biological, and ecological features have little resilience to the effects of oil and gas extraction. Certain marine species die due to the damaging effects of the environment on their ecosystems, which may eventually lead to a reduction in population and eventual extinction. Moreover, humans consume some marine animals, like fisheries, which makes them susceptible to these environmental effects. Hence, the need for effective and robust legal frameworks to govern oil and gas activities and protect the deep-sea environment and affected coastal communities. This mini-dissertation analysed whether the primary legal frameworks have been adequately designed to govern the environmental impacts of oil and gas extraction on the deep-sea marine ecosystems and coastal communities. It investigated the prominent environmental impacts of oil and gas activities on the marine ecosystems, provided an overview of the existing marine legal frameworks and proposed legal reforms and policy recommendations to advance the protection of the deep-sea marine ecosystems and affected communities in South Africa. This thesis contended that a multifaceted strategy, including more robust international agreements, harmonized national rules, mandatory industry standards, and improved monitoring and enforcement procedures, are needed to mitigate the negative environmental impacts on these key marine environments and affected communities. |
| format | Thesis |
| id | oai:open.uct.ac.za:11427/42673 |
| institution | University of Cape Town (South Africa) |
| language | English eng |
| last_indexed | 2026-06-10T12:32:08.355Z |
| license_str | Not specified — see source repository |
| provenance_str_mv | Harvested via OAI-PMH from UCTD — University of Cape Town Open Access Repository |
| publishDate | 2026 |
| publishDateRange | 2026 |
| publishDateSort | 2026 |
| publisher | Institute of Marine and Environmental Law |
| publisherStr | Institute of Marine and Environmental Law |
| record_format | dspace |
| source_str | UCTD — University of Cape Town Open Access Repository |
| spelling | oai:open.uct.ac.za:11427/42673 Safeguarding the deep-Sea Marine ecosystem: a critical analysis of the legal framework governing the impacts of the upstream Petroleum Sector on the deep-sea marine ecosystems and coastal communities in South Africa Sehlabo, Mpho Lydia Mostert, Hanri Kengni, Bernard Cramer, Richard Henry Deep-sea Petroleum sector South Africa The deep sea is a vast and largely unexplored environment, home to unique and diverse marine ecosystems. However, the increasing global demand for oil and gas has led to a surge in extraction activities in the deep ocean. These activities while essential for meeting energy demands, pose significant threats to the fragile deep-sea ecosystems. These ecosystems distinctive biodiversity which includes indigenous habitats and species are at risk from disruptions brought on by oil and gas exploration survey, drilling, and pollution. It has been demonstrated that the deep-sea marine ecosystems physical, biological, and ecological features have little resilience to the effects of oil and gas extraction. Certain marine species die due to the damaging effects of the environment on their ecosystems, which may eventually lead to a reduction in population and eventual extinction. Moreover, humans consume some marine animals, like fisheries, which makes them susceptible to these environmental effects. Hence, the need for effective and robust legal frameworks to govern oil and gas activities and protect the deep-sea environment and affected coastal communities. This mini-dissertation analysed whether the primary legal frameworks have been adequately designed to govern the environmental impacts of oil and gas extraction on the deep-sea marine ecosystems and coastal communities. It investigated the prominent environmental impacts of oil and gas activities on the marine ecosystems, provided an overview of the existing marine legal frameworks and proposed legal reforms and policy recommendations to advance the protection of the deep-sea marine ecosystems and affected communities in South Africa. This thesis contended that a multifaceted strategy, including more robust international agreements, harmonized national rules, mandatory industry standards, and improved monitoring and enforcement procedures, are needed to mitigate the negative environmental impacts on these key marine environments and affected communities. 2026-01-23T13:26:48Z 2026-01-23T13:26:48Z 2025 2026-01-23T13:06:54Z Thesis / Dissertation Masters LLM http://hdl.handle.net/11427/42673 en eng application/pdf Institute of Marine and Environmental Law Faculty of Law University of Cape Town |
| spellingShingle | Deep-sea Petroleum sector South Africa Sehlabo, Mpho Lydia Safeguarding the deep-Sea Marine ecosystem: a critical analysis of the legal framework governing the impacts of the upstream Petroleum Sector on the deep-sea marine ecosystems and coastal communities in South Africa |
| thesis_degree_str | Master's |
| title | Safeguarding the deep-Sea Marine ecosystem: a critical analysis of the legal framework governing the impacts of the upstream Petroleum Sector on the deep-sea marine ecosystems and coastal communities in South Africa |
| title_full | Safeguarding the deep-Sea Marine ecosystem: a critical analysis of the legal framework governing the impacts of the upstream Petroleum Sector on the deep-sea marine ecosystems and coastal communities in South Africa |
| title_fullStr | Safeguarding the deep-Sea Marine ecosystem: a critical analysis of the legal framework governing the impacts of the upstream Petroleum Sector on the deep-sea marine ecosystems and coastal communities in South Africa |
| title_full_unstemmed | Safeguarding the deep-Sea Marine ecosystem: a critical analysis of the legal framework governing the impacts of the upstream Petroleum Sector on the deep-sea marine ecosystems and coastal communities in South Africa |
| title_short | Safeguarding the deep-Sea Marine ecosystem: a critical analysis of the legal framework governing the impacts of the upstream Petroleum Sector on the deep-sea marine ecosystems and coastal communities in South Africa |
| title_sort | safeguarding the deep sea marine ecosystem a critical analysis of the legal framework governing the impacts of the upstream petroleum sector on the deep sea marine ecosystems and coastal communities in south africa |
| topic | Deep-sea Petroleum sector South Africa |
| url | http://hdl.handle.net/11427/42673 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT sehlabompholydia safeguardingthedeepseamarineecosystemacriticalanalysisofthelegalframeworkgoverningtheimpactsoftheupstreampetroleumsectoronthedeepseamarineecosystemsandcoastalcommunitiesinsouthafrica |