Professor Cameron Jefferies' new book, Marine Mammal Conservation and the Law of the Sea, addresses one of international environmental law's most pressing and controversial areas. Through a multidisciplinary lens, the book explores the current regulatory landscape for marine mammal conservation and a comprehensive picture of the modern threats to marine mammals.
"The past 70 years demonstrates that international efforts to conserve marine mammal species engages a full suite of scientific, cultural, political, and ethical considerations," said Professor Jefferies. "For this reason it is not surprising that meaningful compromise has remained elusive; however, the international community must press forward to ensure that future generations get to co-exist with these incredible animals. My hope is that this book demonstrates that rational conservation need not continue to elude us and that international law can chart the course towards truly sustainable marine mammal management."
The book strives to push marine mammal conservation law further, laying out a proposed treaty that develops the potential of current treaty provisions found in the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.
"If the world will now take notice, Professor Jefferies has shown the way to rational management of marine mammals," said John Norton Moore, Walter L. Brown Professor of Law, University of Virginia. "This is not just theoretical academic work; this is the real thing from a brilliant and extremely knowledgeable expert on marine mammals."
Marine Mammal Conservation and the Law of the Sea is available on August 9th, 2016. For more information on the book, visit the Oxford University Press website.
Cameron Jefferies is an Assistant Professor and Borden Ladner Gervais Fellow at the Faculty of Law and the University of Alberta. He researches in the areas of environmental law, natural resource law, ocean law, and animal law. He recently developed a new JD course in sustainability law. He has published number of articles on international and domestic shark conservation and management, climate change, and energy law. He holds degrees from the University of Alberta (BSc, LLB) and the University of Virginia (LLM, SJD), where he studied as a Fulbright Scholar.