9.2.4 Benefits and Risks of an Extended Blue Amazon
To assert jurisdiction over larger portions of the ocean floor, i.e. to expand the
“Brazilian Blue Amazon” entails both benefits and risks. On the side of benefits,
tangible economic gains probably stand out from the rest, given the (not yet fully
known) exploitation potential of living and non-living resources of the outer continental shelf, namely deep seabed minerals, hydrocarbons, and sedentary species.
One more benefit relates to foreign policy achievements, in terms of cooperation
bonds with neighboring countries of the South Atlantic Ocean, stemming from the
Brazilian ability and willingness to provide technical assistance and consultancy to
states currently preparing submissions for the delineation of outer continental shelf
limits.
153
On the side of the risks, the most notable one, according to this work, is having
the country ill-suited to manage the extended Blue Amazon both in legal and
institutional terms. Usually, works in the field of international relations tend to
dismiss legal risks arising from the continental shelf expansion, thus
overemphasizing the political turbulence that might emerge from CLCS recommendations and the Brazilian state behavior. While there are certainly several political
risks related to the delineation procedure, this work focuses rather on the legal risks
and challenges falling upon the Brazilian state regard not the recommendations of
the Commission, but the national regulations to manage the marine environment of
the extended area.
Besides, weight is also given to the aspects of sovereignty and defense of the Blue
Amazon within Brazilian strategical maritime thinking.
154 Even though one recognized dimension of the Blue Amazon concept be the marine environment, few
in-depth studies have dwelled in the analysis of the environmental duties and
responsibilities falling upon the coastal states with a broad continental shelf—so
as to contemplate the “new” reality of having an internationally acknowledged outer
continental shelf. Admittedly, a concept frequently employed by the Brazilian Navy
to refer to ocean governance, that of “maritime mentality”, binds together both
sovereignty and environmental considerations, as it consists of the general
153 Brazil has shown interest in the past in jointly exploiting continental shelf resources with its
adjacent neighbors, Uruguay and Guyana. In Uruguay, for instance, Petrobras expressed interest in
the exploration and exploitation of oil and gas on the Uruguayan continental shelf. In Guyana, an
official visit of former President Lula indicated that the Brazil would have Petrobras work together
with companies from that country to brainwash possibilities for joint operations in oil and gas
exploration on the continental shelf. Concerning the French Guyana, Brazil’s cooperation with
France began even before the preparation of the proposal for French Guiana was completed.
Following the beginning of the examination of the Brazilian proposal by the subcommittee, and
taking into account the comments of some of its members, the Brazilian Government sought
cooperation from France to establish the points of the foot of the slope in the region of the lateral
border. In December 2004, the French authorities agreed to cede GUYAPLAC data, which were
included in the addendum sent by Brazil to CLPC in March 2005. See Figueirôa (2014), p. 248.
154 The reference work by Barbosa Júnior and More (2012) evidences the prominence of security
considerations over environmental ones.
290
9 The Environmental Dimension of the “Brazilian Blue...
To assert jurisdiction over larger portions of the ocean floor, i.e. to expand the
“Brazilian Blue Amazon” entails both benefits and risks. On the side of benefits,
tangible economic gains probably stand out from the rest, given the (not yet fully
known) exploitation potential of living and non-living resources of the outer continental shelf, namely deep seabed minerals, hydrocarbons, and sedentary species.
One more benefit relates to foreign policy achievements, in terms of cooperation
bonds with neighboring countries of the South Atlantic Ocean, stemming from the
Brazilian ability and willingness to provide technical assistance and consultancy to
states currently preparing submissions for the delineation of outer continental shelf
limits.
153
On the side of the risks, the most notable one, according to this work, is having
the country ill-suited to manage the extended Blue Amazon both in legal and
institutional terms. Usually, works in the field of international relations tend to
dismiss legal risks arising from the continental shelf expansion, thus
overemphasizing the political turbulence that might emerge from CLCS recommendations and the Brazilian state behavior. While there are certainly several political
risks related to the delineation procedure, this work focuses rather on the legal risks
and challenges falling upon the Brazilian state regard not the recommendations of
the Commission, but the national regulations to manage the marine environment of
the extended area.
Besides, weight is also given to the aspects of sovereignty and defense of the Blue
Amazon within Brazilian strategical maritime thinking.
154 Even though one recognized dimension of the Blue Amazon concept be the marine environment, few
in-depth studies have dwelled in the analysis of the environmental duties and
responsibilities falling upon the coastal states with a broad continental shelf—so
as to contemplate the “new” reality of having an internationally acknowledged outer
continental shelf. Admittedly, a concept frequently employed by the Brazilian Navy
to refer to ocean governance, that of “maritime mentality”, binds together both
sovereignty and environmental considerations, as it consists of the general
153 Brazil has shown interest in the past in jointly exploiting continental shelf resources with its
adjacent neighbors, Uruguay and Guyana. In Uruguay, for instance, Petrobras expressed interest in
the exploration and exploitation of oil and gas on the Uruguayan continental shelf. In Guyana, an
official visit of former President Lula indicated that the Brazil would have Petrobras work together
with companies from that country to brainwash possibilities for joint operations in oil and gas
exploration on the continental shelf. Concerning the French Guyana, Brazil’s cooperation with
France began even before the preparation of the proposal for French Guiana was completed.
Following the beginning of the examination of the Brazilian proposal by the subcommittee, and
taking into account the comments of some of its members, the Brazilian Government sought
cooperation from France to establish the points of the foot of the slope in the region of the lateral
border. In December 2004, the French authorities agreed to cede GUYAPLAC data, which were
included in the addendum sent by Brazil to CLPC in March 2005. See Figueirôa (2014), p. 248.
154 The reference work by Barbosa Júnior and More (2012) evidences the prominence of security
considerations over environmental ones.
290
9 The Environmental Dimension of the “Brazilian Blue...