Ocean: War of Independence by Brian Herbert, Jan Herbert

would eventually prohibit all motorized vessels in the water, even banning backup motors for sailing vessels. The prohibition would be completed under a timetable of a few years, and would affect not only private vessels and commercial cargo ships, but military vessels as well, including submarines. All would be banned, if they were motorized. Only approved watercraft would be permitted to use the sea—sailboats, windsurfing boards, human-powered craft (such as rowboats, kayaks, racing skiffs, and paddleboats), and the like. There would be no more greasy, leaking cargo ships or oil tankers, no more radiation-saturated nuclear-powered submarines, and no more massive, fast-moving container ships or aircraft carriers running over northern right whales, finbacks, humpbacks, and other large animals on the surface, killing them.
    Dirk Avondale expected a lot of pushback from the military and commercial interests on the engine ban—as they would argue that gasoline, nuclear-powered, and diesel engines could be banned to avoid the danger of leaks, while allowing solar- or steam-powered engines. That might be acceptable if there were meaningful controls on noise and other problems, but both Kimo and Dirk felt it was important not to provide human beings with any loopholes, or soon they would attempt to enlarge them into something big enough to drive a hundred battleships through, eventually destroying each prohibition entirely. As Kimo put it to the attendees that morning, “Our new regulations must have teeth . They must be strictly enforced.”
    There would be restrictions on cargoes that could be hauled as well, preventing the movement of any petroleum products or other hazardous materials over the water. As one example, no oil tankers of any kind would be allowed, even if they were wind-powered.
    A large portion of the declaration would be dedicated to dealing with the problem of overfishing, a practice that had depleted so many species of marine life. There would be a prohibition against commercial, private, and sport fishing, whaling, tuna-seining, crabbing, lobstering, and any other endeavor that involves the removal of living organisms from the ocean, including bans on the collection of sea cucumbers and seaweed, and prohibiting the collection of shellfish by any means. No more abalone, clams, oysters, mussels, or geoducks would be taken from the wild. Some fishing by native peoples or the residents of seaside villages might be allowed under close supervision, but only if they used traditional, low-tech methods.
    Yet another section banned mining operations of any sort, including the removal of manganese nodules, copper, and other minerals from the ocean floor.
    Diving in the ocean, snorkeling, scuba diving, and swimming would only be allowed with special permits from the Sea Warriors, and there would be a means of verifying who had permits and who did not. Even beach sands would fall under the jurisdiction of the new declaration, as would sensitive coastal ecosystems around the world, such as mangrove forests, salt marshes, and estuaries. Just walking on beaches would be subject to the permit process, due to past abuses by human beings, including leaving bottles, cans, and other trash behind them. Beachcombing would not be allowed under any circumstances.
    Travel by aircraft over the water would be strictly regulated, so that airborne vessels crossed the world ocean over the poles, or by the shortest routes separating continents, and prohibiting the dumping of fuel in the water, except in certain emergency situations. Seaplanes or other aircraft with pontoons would not be permitted to land on the ocean, or even fly over it.
    There would be limited exceptions to some of the categories, such as allowing approved companies or individuals to obtain organisms from coral colonies for medical purposes, allowing swimming and diving in emergency situations, and allowing air rescue operations for boats or ships that were endangered