In this perspective piece, Aaron Padgett explores how “blue” political and economic agendas in the Pacific are underwritten by a view of the region as a strategic and resource frontier. Examining initiatives like the BLUE Pacific Act, the piece discusses how blue environmental rhetoric co-opts and diminishes Native Pacific place relations to create marketable slogans for the expanding security state.
The rapid growth of fishmeal processing in West Africa, driven by global demand, has sparked protests, and raised pressing concerns among coastal communities, particularly in The Gambia. Despite being touted as sources of foreign investment, these factories disproportionately burden vulnerable populations with environmental degradation, food insecurity, and health risks.
Beneath the surface, the ocean’s depths hold cultural and ecological significance, challenging corporate imaginaries and their “nirvana concepts,” and prompting a reevaluation of the “blue economy” narrative.
