Reconstructing Environmental Law Through Indigenous Ocean Governance

Contemporary environmental law has made significant progress in addressing climate change, biodiversity loss, marine pollution, and the sustainable use of natural resources. Despite these achievements, it remains largely State-centred, relying primarily on governments and international institutions to protect the environment. This approach has often overlooked Indigenous systems of environmental governance that have successfully managed marine ecosystems through customary law for generations.
This article argues that international environmental law should be reconstructed through Indigenous Ocean Governance. It contends that Indigenous governance is not merely a cultural practice but a living legal system capable of strengthening biodiversity conservation, ecological stewardship, climate justice, and sustainable ocean governance. Drawing on international environmental law, the law of the sea, legal pluralism, and comparative examples from Aotearoa New Zealand and the Niger Delta, the article demonstrates that Indigenous governance can complement, rather than replace, State-centred environmental regulation.
The article introduces Indigenous Ocean Reconstruction Theory as an original jurisprudential framework for integrating Indigenous Ocean Governance into contemporary environmental law. The theory argues that recognising Indigenous legal institutions as complementary sources of environmental authority can produce more inclusive, legitimate, and effective environmental governance while respecting the constitutional role of the State.

Environmental Law; Indigenous Ocean Governance; Indigenous Ocean Reconstruction Theory; Customary Marine Tenure

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