Can Singapore help shape the future of the ocean?

DEBATES about ocean protection tend to focus on treaties, national policies and international agreements. Fisheries quotas are negotiated between governments. Shipping rules are set through global bodies. Marine conservation is often framed as a matter of state responsibility.

Yet many of the decisions that shape the ocean’s condition are made far from diplomatic forums. Ships refuel in ports. Cargo moves through urban terminals. Financial and regulatory systems based in cities influence how maritime industries operate.

Many of the decisions that shape the ocean are, in practice, made in cities.