A Maritime Expert on Perils at Sea: Undercurrents Part 3

Welcome to the third edition of "Undercurrents," an ongoing series in The Delegates Lounge podcast about the oceans and seas that unite us, and sometimes, divide us.

In this episode, we're continuing our conversation with Michelle Wiese Bockmann, a former longtime analyst with Lloyd's List, one of the world’s oldest continuously running journals that has provided shipping news from London for centuries.

Beneath, above, and at the surface of global shipping lanes, a new era of maritime threats is emerging with potentially devastating consequences for world trade, communications, and security.

Our conversation with Michelle plunges immediately into the rise of cable cutting incidents in the Baltic Sea, where vessels have severed critical undersea infrastructure connecting nations and communications networks. She describes how difficult it is to prove sabotage in these cases, even as NATO deploys artificial intelligence to track suspicious vessel movements. The shadowy "dark fleet" of vessels operating outside international norms presents a particular challenge, with ships engaged in deceptive practices that make monitoring difficult.

Drone warfare has changed maritime security calculations. From the Houthi attacks in the Red Sea using unmanned explosive boats to targeted strikes against commercial vessels, these relatively inexpensive weapons have forced shipping companies to abandon crucial trade routes. The economic impact is staggering. Rerouting around Africa's Cape of Good Hope adds approximately one million dollars in fuel costs per container ship journey, costs ultimately shouldered by consumers worldwide.

Most concerning is the growing inability of international governance frameworks to address these evolving threats. The United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) was drafted long before modern drone warfare and cable cutting incidents, while Michelle says the International Maritime Organization has become paralyzed by geopolitical divisions. As she sees it, the United States has retreated from its traditional leadership role in these forums, leaving critical environmental and security decisions in limbo.

From the Arctic's opening passages to the complexities of Panama Canal operations, this conversation offers rare insights into the vulnerabilities of our ocean-dependent global economy. Join us for this essential exploration of maritime security challenges that affect everything from the products on our store shelves to the internet connections powering our digital lives.

Subscribe to The Delegates Lounge for more critical insights into the maritime undercurrents shaping global politics, economics, and environmental security.

Speakers:

J. Alex Tarquinio (host) is a resident correspondent at the United Nations in New York and co-founder of The Delegates Lounge podcast. @alextarquinio of @delegateslounge on X and @thedelegateslounge on Instagram. ‪

Michelle Wiese Bockmann (guest) is a maritime analyst and former longtime writer with Lloyd’s List, one of the world’s oldest continuously running journals. @Michellewb_ on X.

References:

Recent articles by our guest include this opinion piece in the Financial Times.

https://www.ft.com/content/7a89f7ae-cf3b-4e53-88bb-b87916f3eeef

Our host mentions in this episode that she interviewed Michelle for an article in The New York Times when the sanctions were relatively new.

https://www.nytimes.com/2022/07/15/business/energy-stock-market.html