Estonia Calls for Reform of Maritime Laws to Protect Undersea Infrastructure

Estonia is urging a revision of its age-old maritime laws to tackle the rising concerns surrounding damage to undersea infrastructure, including cables and pipelines. Justice Minister Liisa Pakosta stated to Reuters that the existing maritime regulations, which primarily address issues like piracy and unauthorized broadcasting, do not adequately address incidents involving harm to underwater infrastructure.

This push for reform follows damage to power and internet cables connecting Estonia and Finland, which is believed to have been caused by a vessel carrying Russian oil. Finnish authorities have detained the ship amid suspicions of its role in the outage. In light of this incident, Estonia’s navy has begun safeguarding a parallel power line.

By February, Estonia intends to submit a request to the International Maritime Organization to update these laws, with the goal of clarifying how nations should respond to underwater damage. Pakosta asserts that this initiative could help mitigate international disputes arising from such incidents.