2024/08/25 by Nathan Jopling · 1 voice
Social Sciences · #Maritime Security and History
paper · pdf · doi:10.1177/08438714241272623
openalex publication_date 2024/08/25 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/14
like the Senkaku/Diaoyu/Diaoyutai Islands and the South China Sea.He examines the transformation of bird islands on the distant margins of the Japanese archipelago and beyond from sites of resource extraction to outposts of empire, and from wartime battlegrounds to nature reserves.Kreitman's study explores the interactions between the non-human and human worldsthe lifeworlds of birds, bird products, bureaucrats, beachcombers, sailors, soldiers, scientists and conservationistsand how these interactions have shaped ongoing claims to sovereignty over oceanic spaces.The book offers insights into the complex relationship between sovereignty, territory, indigeneity and environment in the modern world, highlighting how uninhabited islands have been both focal points of intense geopolitical tensions in the Indo-Pacific region and sites of nature conservation.The book's overall significance lies in its exploration of the role of the environment in geopolitical and imperial history, particularly in the context of Japan's oceanic territories.It provides a unique perspective on how ecological considerations can influence territorial claims, and the interplay between environmental conservation and national sovereignty.