Contemporary marine environmental disputes

States have a duty to protect and preserve the marine environment under Article 192 of UNCLOS. In practice, there is little positive guidance in determining a globally accepted environmental pollution threshold, as there is no constant view of a pollution threshold. Environmental disputes are difficult to define. Rather than attempting to categorise the applicable rules, an approach which involves looking at the 'heart of the issue' or real-world problem, might give better guidance as to whether a dispute is an environmental dispute.