Australia's Maritime Economic Interests

Over the past two decades there has been an increasing lament from Western navies that their countries suffer from ‘sea blindness’. What is meant is that there is an apparent lack of public understanding and appreciation of the importance of the oceans for national prosperity. The concern is that if the importance of the oceans is not understood, then the importance of the multifaceted roles of navies in providing protection will not be understood. Whether or not sea blindness exists, maritime economic interests represented by the oceans are important and are discussed below.