The extended continental shelf will conform the final layout of the Brazilian
maritime jurisdiction, thus giving shape to the what the Brazilian Navy has called the
“Blue Amazon”. By creating and spreading the idea of a Blue Amazon, with its
slightly poetic touch, the Brazilian Navy placed itself as an important actor in the
domestic political debate, thus proposing policies and highlighting the need for a
well-equipped naval force to safeguard not only the country’s interests in the
adjacent waters but also the “ocean destiny” neglected by Brazil for decades,
according to doctrines nurtured in the Navy.
This book dissected the concept of the “Blue Amazon” in its multifaceted-nature.
The frenzy with the new concept steered a plethora of domestic publications on the
Blue Amazon, its definition, objectives and practical implications for the Brazilian
authorities. Somewhat regrettably, Brazilian scholars have misleadingly referred to
the Blue Amazon as the “Brazilian maritime territory” or the “Brazilian jurisdictional waters”, references which were dismissed, on legal grounds, throughout
Chap. 9. Moreover, this work examined each of the Blue Amazon’s pillars:
(i) assurance of sovereignty national defense, via exercising politico-strategical
influence in the South Atlantic Ocean; (ii) economic prosperity; (iii) scientific and
technological innovation; and (iv) environmental conservation.
In defense terms, the Blue Amazon consists of the “vital area” of the so-called
“Brazilian strategic contour”, which also includes the South Atlantic Ocean, the
West African coast and Antarctica. In economic terms, the Blue Amazon is widely
perceived as a motor of economic development through technological advancements
and innovation. Brazilian maritime zones are believed to form a “Brazilian oceanic
complex” which, if managed well, should benefit national aquaculture and fisheries;
recreational and leisure activities; renewable energies and offshore exploration;
maritime transport; and marine sciences.
On the environmental side, some conceptual problems emerged. The environmental conservation dimension of the Blue Amazon is not left aside in theorization
efforts embraced by Brazilian political strategists, though it is also not given much of
a relevance either. Until now, most of the programs and plans for the integrated
management of coastal and marine environments have been directed mainly to the
prevention of degradation of strictly coastal environments.
Besides, another issue identified in this research refers to the link forced by the
Brazilian Navy between safety of navigation and environmental conservation, a
rationale according to which measures taken for increasing navigational safety in
the Blue Amazon directly contribute to the environmental conservation of the area.
For instance, the Brazilian Navy’s website which is dedicated to the environmental
dimension of the Blue Amazon clearly emphasizes safety of navigation over any
other criterion for the principled environmental management of the Blue Amazon—a
somewhat misleading approach. No matter how relevant navigational safety measures may be for the peaceful use and management of the marine spaces under
national jurisdiction, that element certainly does not exhaust environmental concerns
over marine ecosystems.
In the assessment of the extended Blue Amazon carried out in this work, benefits
and risks of an extended Blue Amazon arose. On the side of benefits, tangible
11 Conclusions
367
maritime jurisdiction, thus giving shape to the what the Brazilian Navy has called the
“Blue Amazon”. By creating and spreading the idea of a Blue Amazon, with its
slightly poetic touch, the Brazilian Navy placed itself as an important actor in the
domestic political debate, thus proposing policies and highlighting the need for a
well-equipped naval force to safeguard not only the country’s interests in the
adjacent waters but also the “ocean destiny” neglected by Brazil for decades,
according to doctrines nurtured in the Navy.
This book dissected the concept of the “Blue Amazon” in its multifaceted-nature.
The frenzy with the new concept steered a plethora of domestic publications on the
Blue Amazon, its definition, objectives and practical implications for the Brazilian
authorities. Somewhat regrettably, Brazilian scholars have misleadingly referred to
the Blue Amazon as the “Brazilian maritime territory” or the “Brazilian jurisdictional waters”, references which were dismissed, on legal grounds, throughout
Chap. 9. Moreover, this work examined each of the Blue Amazon’s pillars:
(i) assurance of sovereignty national defense, via exercising politico-strategical
influence in the South Atlantic Ocean; (ii) economic prosperity; (iii) scientific and
technological innovation; and (iv) environmental conservation.
In defense terms, the Blue Amazon consists of the “vital area” of the so-called
“Brazilian strategic contour”, which also includes the South Atlantic Ocean, the
West African coast and Antarctica. In economic terms, the Blue Amazon is widely
perceived as a motor of economic development through technological advancements
and innovation. Brazilian maritime zones are believed to form a “Brazilian oceanic
complex” which, if managed well, should benefit national aquaculture and fisheries;
recreational and leisure activities; renewable energies and offshore exploration;
maritime transport; and marine sciences.
On the environmental side, some conceptual problems emerged. The environmental conservation dimension of the Blue Amazon is not left aside in theorization
efforts embraced by Brazilian political strategists, though it is also not given much of
a relevance either. Until now, most of the programs and plans for the integrated
management of coastal and marine environments have been directed mainly to the
prevention of degradation of strictly coastal environments.
Besides, another issue identified in this research refers to the link forced by the
Brazilian Navy between safety of navigation and environmental conservation, a
rationale according to which measures taken for increasing navigational safety in
the Blue Amazon directly contribute to the environmental conservation of the area.
For instance, the Brazilian Navy’s website which is dedicated to the environmental
dimension of the Blue Amazon clearly emphasizes safety of navigation over any
other criterion for the principled environmental management of the Blue Amazon—a
somewhat misleading approach. No matter how relevant navigational safety measures may be for the peaceful use and management of the marine spaces under
national jurisdiction, that element certainly does not exhaust environmental concerns
over marine ecosystems.
In the assessment of the extended Blue Amazon carried out in this work, benefits
and risks of an extended Blue Amazon arose. On the side of benefits, tangible
11 Conclusions
367