INTERNATIONAL CABLE PROTECTION COMMITTEE

 Subsea telecommunication cables form the backbone of the global internet, connecting well over 100 coastal states through a mesh of fiber-optic cables, most of which have the diameter of a common garden hose.  Over 98% of intercontinental internet and telecom traffic passes through this network, and as a result subsea cables make a significant positive impact on the socio-economic conditions of those countries they serve [1].

Given the benefits of subsea cables to societies, business and nations, the vision of the International Cable Protection Committee (ICPC) is to be the international submarine cable authority providing leadership and guidance on issues related to submarine cable security and reliability.

Subsea cables and the environment

Globally, the main threats to subsea cables come from fishing (bottom trawling) and from ships’ anchors.  However in deep waters such as the Sargasso Sea, there is little risk from these threats. The cables are laid on the surface of the seabed by specially-equipped cable ships, on a route carefully selected to bypass any fragile ecosystems or marine natural hazards.

Each deep water cable is typically around 17 mm in diameter, with an outer layer of chemically-inert polyethylene. The impact on the marine environment is therefore extremely small, as described in a 2009 study published by the United Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP) and the World Conservation Monitoring Centre (WCMC) [2], and subsequent studies.

Not only are cables designed for minimal environmental impact, they are also planned to operate undisturbed for 25 years or even longer.  In rare cases however, if maintenance is required a cable is picked up using another vessel, repaired on board, and then re-laid.  In deep water, the frequency of cable faults is very low and an analysis undertaken of cables in the Sargasso Sea revealed a total of only three cable repairs took place over the period 2008-2015 [3].

A chart showing submarine cables in the Sargasso Sea may be found here.

The work of the ICPC

The ICPC was formed in 1958 and its primary goal is to promote the safeguarding of international submarine cables against man-made and natural hazards. The ICPC has more than 160 members in over 60 countries, representing 97% of the world’s subsea telecom cables, including cable operators, owners, manufacturers, industry service providers and governments. It produces and maintains a series of Recommendations setting out best practices for subsea cables to co-exist in harmony with other users of the seabed. These Recommendations include cable routing and reporting criteria; the standardisation of cable awareness charts, and the minimum requirements (including consideration of environmental aspects) to carry out a desk-top study prior to the construction of a new submarine cable system.  The ICPC has compiled an extensive library of environmental information and data related to the installation, maintenance and protection of submarine cables.  It also maintains a dedicated collection of international cable legislation, legal articles and cases, and a topic index of reported cases and rulings involving submarine cables – the only such resource worldwide.

In 2014, the Sargasso Sea Commission and the ICPC held a workshop on legal and environmental issues in Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction (ABNJ).  The report of the workshop and other supporting materials can be found here.

The ICPC regularly publishes its work in peer-reviewed journals and publications.  A selection is provided below:

·        de Juvigny, A.L., Davenport, T.M., Burnett, D.R., and Freestone, D., 2015. Submarine Telecommunication Cables in the Sargasso Sea, The International Journal of Marine and Coastal Law, 30, 371 – 378. DOI: 10.1163/15718085-12341358

·        Burnett, D.R., Beckman, R.C. and Davenport, T.M., Submarine Cables: The Handbook of Law and Policy, Martinus Nijhoff, 2014.  ISBN: 978-90-04-26032-0

·        Carter, L., Gavey, R., Talling, P. and Liu, J., 2014, Insights into Submarine Geohazards from Breaks in Subsea Telecommunication Cables, Oceanography v.27 (2) 46-55

·        Carter, L. and Burnett, D., Chapter 23: Subsea Telecommunications, in Routledge Handbook of Ocean Resources and Management, ed. Smith, H.D. et. al., Routledge, 2015.  ISBN: 978-0-415-53175-7

Associations

In addition to the Sargasso Sea Commission, the ICPC has established working relationships or Memoranda of Understanding (MOUs) with organisations such as:

·        International Seabed Authority (ISA)

·        International Hydrographic Organization (IHO)

·        United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)

·        The Centre for International Law (CIL) of the National University of Singapore (NUS), Center for Oceans Law and Policy (COLP) (USA), and China Institute of Marine Affairs (CIMA) (PRC)

·        Oslo Paris Convention (OSPAR) – Observer Status

·        International Telecommunications Union (ITU), Telecommunications Standardization Bureau

·        Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand

·        National Oceanography Centre (NOC), Southampton, UK

·        Rhodes Academy for Oceans Law and Policy

·        SubOptic

References

[1]          UN Resolution 69/245

[2]          de Juvigny, A.L., Davenport, T.M., Burnett, D.R., and Freestone, D., 2015. Submarine Telecommunication Cables in the Sargasso Sea, The International Journal of Marine and Coastal Law, 30, 371 – 378. DOI: 10.1163/15718085-12341358.

[3]          Carter L., Burnett D., Drew S., Marle G., Hadagdorn L., Bartlett-McNeil D., and Irvine N., 2009. Submarine Cables and the Ocean – Connecting the World, UNEP-WCMC Biodiversity Series No. 31., at p. 54, UNEP-WCMC-ICPC.