Guillaume Pitron maps a quiet race to industrialize the oceans
In a new essay, the French journalist argues that the high seas have become the next frontier of resource extraction and great-power rivalry — with Europe barely aware of its own stakes.
Guillaume Pitron, a journalist specializing in geopolitics and raw materials, publishes "Océans. Le nouveau partage du monde," an essay built on several years of investigation, according to Le Monde and Bibliobs. The book argues that a transformation of the oceans, long unnoticed, is now accelerating, driven by the exploitation of resources far from shore.
According to Le Monde's review, Pitron traces the early signs of this shift and the geostrategic rivalries it is already producing among major powers, as states quietly compete to secure access to the sea's mineral and economic resources.
In an interview with Bibliobs, Pitron describes the oceans as the new playing field of capitalism and resource extraction, framing the competition between states as discreet but intense, and one that is laying the groundwork for a coming industrialization of the high seas. He also argues, per the same interview, that "l'Europe est une puissance maritime qui s'ignore" — a maritime power that does not recognize itself as such.
Neither outlet's material specifies a publisher, page count or release date for the book.
Sources
This article was written from these reports.
