What has a starfish got to do with Sovereignty?

As I read through the other contributors’ articles on Sovereignty and considered the visuals of crowns, my mind was drawn, as it often is, the world below the waves.

The natural world is a constant source of wonder and inspiration and the Crown-of-thorns came to mind. Not just because of the obvious visual resemblance to a crown and the link to sovereignty but more because of its effect on the marine environment.

To give you a bit of context.

The Crown-of-thorns starfish (Acanthaster planci) is a large, predatory sea star found in coral reef ecosystems throughout the Indo-Pacific region

Growing up to a 1 meter in diameter, and covered in venomous spines, it feeds mainly on coral polyps.

While naturally occurring in small numbers, outbreaks of Crown-of-thorns starfish can cause significant damage to coral reefs. During these events, large populations can consume coral faster than it can regrow.

Alongside climate change and ocean acidification it is considered one of the major threats to coral reefs.

So, what has this got to do with sovereignty?

I asked my new friend Claude.ai what he thought, this is what he had to say

Linking the concept of sovereignty to the Crown-of-thorns starfish is an interesting concept.  Here are some ways we can connect these seemingly disparate topics:

1. Environmental sovereignty:

The Crown-of-thorns starfish outbreaks affect coral reefs, which often cross national boundaries. This raises questions about environmental sovereignty and the responsibility of nations to protect shared ecosystems.

2. Indigenous rights and traditional management:

Many Pacific Island nations have traditional methods of reef management. The Crown-of-thorns starfish issue intersects with debates about indigenous sovereignty and the right to manage local resources using traditional knowledge.

3. Economic impacts and national interests:

Coral reefs are crucial for many nations’ tourism and fishing industries. The starfish’s threat to these resources can impact a country’s economic sovereignty and ability to make independent decisions about resource management.

4. International cooperation vs. national control:

Addressing the Crown-of-thorns starfish problem often requires international cooperation, which can create tension with notions of national sovereignty over territorial waters and marine resources.

5. Scientific sovereignty:

Research on the Crown-of-thorns starfish involves questions of data ownership, access to genetic resources, and the right to conduct research in different territories – all of which relate to scientific sovereignty.

6. Maritime boundaries:

The starfish’s impact on reefs can potentially affect maritime boundary disputes, as some nations base territorial claims on the presence of coral reefs.

7. Metaphorical use:

The Crown-of-thorns starfish could be used metaphorically to discuss threats to national sovereignty, with the starfish representing external forces that “consume” a nation’s autonomy.

The metaphorical aspect interested me, so I asked Claude.ai to explore the idea further.

In this metaphorical framework, we can envision a nation’s sovereignty as a coral reef, and the Crown-of-thorns starfish as external forces that threaten to erode or consume that sovereignty.

1. Gradual consumption: Just as the crown of thorns starfish slowly but steadily consumes coral, external pressures can gradually erode a nation’s sovereignty. These could be economic influences, cultural imperialism, or diplomatic pressures from more powerful nations.

2. Proliferation of threats: The starfish’s ability to reproduce rapidly and create large populations mirrors how threats to sovereignty can multiply and become overwhelming if not addressed early.

3. Hidden danger: Crown-of-thorns starfish can be hard to spot initially, much like subtle infringements on sovereignty that may not be immediately apparent but can cause significant damage over time.

4. Ecosystem disruption: The starfish’s impact extends beyond the coral it directly consumes, affecting the entire reef ecosystem. Similarly, threats to sovereignty can have wide-ranging effects on a nation’s political, economic, and social systems.

5. Difficulty of removal: Once established, Crown-of-thorns starfish are challenging to eliminate. This parallels the difficulty of reclaiming sovereignty once it has been compromised.

6. Cyclical nature: Outbreaks of Crown-of-thorns starfish can be cyclical, much like how threats to sovereignty may come in waves or recur over time.

7. Varied impacts: Different coral species have varying levels of resilience to the starfish, just as different aspects of national sovereignty may be more or less vulnerable to external pressures.

8. Necessity of vigilance: Protecting coral reefs from these starfish requires constant monitoring and swift action. Similarly, maintaining national sovereignty demands ongoing vigilance and proactive measures.

The Crown-of-thorns provides a vivid way to illustrate how seemingly small incursions can, over time, fundamentally alter the nature of a nation’s autonomy and self-determination.

Whilst much of the discussion is based on sovereignty from a nation’s perspective, there are many parallels which we can draw from a personal perspective.

How do we ensure that external forces from society, social media, company culture, peers, family and friends don’t erode and compromise our own autonomy and self-determination, our own sovereignty?