Ocean Axiology and Value Pluralism | Analysis

The text analyzes the diversity of value systems in the context of ocean protection, contrasting instrumental anthropocentrism with biocentric and ecocentric approaches. The author points to the trap of reducing fish to the category of 'tonnage' and invokes Peter Singer's ethics to emphasize animals' capacity for suffering. The concept of total economic value is discussed, along with the key role of option value, which suggests protecting resources in the face of uncertainty and the irreversibility of ecological changes. The article argues that contemporary maritime policy is a hybrid of different axiological orders, and that transitioning from treating the sea as a collection of economic assets toward recognizing its ecosystem integrity and autotelic value is essential for sustainable marine environment management.