1st Edition
The Blue Economy, Fisheries and the Political Dynamics of Regionalism Western Indian Ocean Island States
Chapter 1 - Introduction: Regionalism and the Politics of Marine Space in the Western Indian Ocean
- The Puzzle of Regionalism in the Western Indian Ocean
- Small Island States and the Logic of Collective Diplomacy
- Fisheries, Maritime Governance, and the Blue Economy
- Politically Thin Regionalism
- The Western Indian Ocean as a Regional Space
- Methodology and Analytical Approach
- Structure of the Book
Chapter 2 – Regionalism Without Convergence: Small States, Collective Diplomacy, and the Limits of the “Gang Up” Thesis
- The Promise and Limits of Collective Diplomacy
- Small States in International Relations Theory
- SIDS, Vulnerability, and the Politics of Coalition-Building
- Beyond Vulnerability: Competition, Differentiation, and Strategic Positioning
- The Limits of the “Gang Up” Thesis
- Conclusion: Regionalism and Uneven Maritime Integration
Chapter 3 – Building Indianocéanie: History, Identity, and the Construction of a Maritime Region
- The Problem of Region-Making in the Western Indian Ocean
- Before the Region: Indian Ocean Connectivity and Maritime Worlds
- Colonial Fragmentation and the Production of Political Difference
- Decolonisation, Sovereignty, and the Uneven Emergence of Island Regionalism
- Inventing Indianocéanie: Identity, Creolisation, and Regional Imagination
- Institutionalising the Region: The Indian Ocean Commission and the Politics of Functional Regionalism
- Maritime Regionalism and the Blue Economy Turn
- Conclusion: A Region Constructed but Never Fully Consolidated
Chapter 4 – Tuna, Territory, and the Blue Economy: Fisheries Political Economy and Maritime Strategy
- Tuna and the Making of Maritime Political Economy
- Exclusive Economic Zones and the Territorialisation of Ocean Space
- Tuna Value Chains and Uneven Maritime Accumulation
- Ports, Logistics, and Infrastructure Competition
- The Blue Economy and the Financialisation of Ocean Governance
- Fisheries Governance, Regionalism, and the Indian Ocean Commission
- Securitisation and Maritime Power Projection
- Conclusion: Cooperation, Competition, and Uneven Ocean Regionalism
Chapter 5 – Governing the Maritime Region: Regional Institutions, Donor Agendas, and Technocratic Cooperation
- Governing an Uneven Maritime Region
- The IOC and the Limits of Island Regionalism
- Fisheries Governance and the Politics of Allocation
- Blue Economy Governance and Donor Power
- Maritime Security Governance and External Power Projection
- Infrastructure Governance and Strategic Connectivity
- Governing Fragmentation: Regionalism Without Convergence
- Conclusion: Maritime Governance and Uneven Regional Order
Chapter 6 – External Powers and Fragmented Regionalism: Geopolitics in the Western Indian Ocean
- Geopolitics in a Fragmented Maritime Region
- France, Sovereignty, and the Persistence of Imperial Maritime Space
- India and the Politics of Maritime Influence
- China, Infrastructure, and Logistical Incorporation
- The European Union, Fisheries Access, and Technocratic Power
- Gulf States, Energy Corridors, and Emerging Maritime Influence
- Strategic Balancing and Island Agency
- Fragmented Geopolitics and the Limits of Regional Convergence
- Conclusion: Maritime Geopolitics and the Limits of Regional Integration
Chapter 7 – The Limits of Collective Diplomacy: Rethinking Regionalism among Small Island States
- Revisiting the “Gang Up” Thesis
- Maritime Regionalism Without Convergence
- Fisheries, Ocean Capitalism, and Uneven Maritime Incorporation
- External Power, Strategic Balancing, and Fragmented Sovereignty
- Rethinking Small Island Regionalism
- Politically Thin Regionalism: Toward a Maritime Theory of Uneven Incorporation
- Conclusion: Governing An Uncertain Future
Biography
Graham Sherbut is the Founder and Director of Tantara Development Insights; Visiting Faculty Member, Nalanda University’s School of International Relations and Peace Studies.
