Elements of present-day sea use management have evolved over a long period. Basic to these are the principles of freedom of the seas, open access to resources, and sectoral management. There is, however, a necessary corrective to this Euro-centric view when the relationships between people and the marine environment are examined in several other cultures. Open access in Western society has experienced more recent restrictions as resource scarcities have arisen and new technological capacities have increased. However, ocean management policies have continued within the spatial framework of freedom of the seas for fishing beyond national jurisdiction and the marine transport sector.
