The composition and evaluation of the strategic value of high seas resources: A theoretical model based on the human–sea relationship

Abstract

The high seas and their resources have become increasingly important in economic geography. The utilization and protection of high seas resources are vital for the health of marine, ecological, economic, and geopolitical environments. However, little is known about the value of high seas resources. This article analyzes the generation mechanism of the value of high seas resources from the perspective of the human–sea relationship by analyzing the interactive relationship between the state and the high seas. It proposes the concept of the strategic value of high seas resources and develops a new theoretical framework around high seas economic activities to evaluate this concept. First, we propose that the utilization of resources should be based on sustainability, that is, high seas economic activities should be performed only within a range that the high seas can carry. Then, being recognized as possessing a commodity value attribute, we propose that high seas resources, as a special commodity, not only have the natural and social attributes of general commodities but also possess geographic attributes. Accordingly, three dimensions of a strategic value assessment (i.e., natural value, degree of demand, and probability of acquisition), are proposed. Finally, we designed technical methods for assessing the strategic value of high seas resources, focusing on three economic activities that utilize the high seas: exploration and production of oil and gas, international shipping, and fishing. Our theoretical method can provide a hypothetical basis and reference for the utilization and protection of high seas resources and global ocean governance.