There is no uniform or universally accepted definition of “maritime security,” but we regard it as a stable order of the oceans subject to the rule of law at sea. Threats to international maritime security include maritime piracy and ship hijacking, use of the sea by terrorists, smugglers of illicit cargo, human traffickers, international criminal and extremist organizations, low-intensity or irregular maritime militia, and sometimes even conventional naval forces employing asymmetric tactics or operating in tandem with other governmental or nongovernmental organizations. Threats to the maritime domain also include intentional and unlawful damage to the marine environment, intentional or illegal dumping and vessel discharge of pollutants, illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing, as well as more attenuated threats, such as the spread of infectious disease, and accidental marine environmental degradation. In this volume, these “softer” or non-violent threats are dealt with only as they relate to the more violent threats mentioned above.1