Kairei City

In this story, titled ‘Kairei City’, centers around the high seas nation state, which came into being after failed international negotiations and a shocking invasion of ocean space made it clear that the High Seas are too valuable to be ruined by fragmented governance. The new regime strives to be inclusive to all voices, values and knowledge systems, asking every member of society to represent the ocean, which is recognized as a legal entity with inherent rights, in decision making processes. The high seas look quite different now, with large structures in which seaweed and kelp are grown and fish are farmed, moving around to chase the best environmental conditions and bioremediate degraded areas. Our protagonist moves to the capital city of this state and dives headfirst into a community whose identity is shaped by the experience of living in a world intertwined with the water. 

The boat is gliding over the water with an incredible speed, it feels like we’re flying past the vast floating structures in which seaweed is cultivated, creating waves in the deep green kelp jungle we are passing through. I take a last look back at the shores of the exclusive economic zone of Liberia, mourning the loss of my seaweed farm, which was buried under a sudden influx of sediments, a common problem here. I can’t afford to rebuild what I have lost, which I decided to view as a nudge to finally come live with my cousin Katara in the infamous High Seas state, something she has been suggesting for years. I turn around to ask the captain about our incredible speed, a question which he already anticipated: “We are using state of the art solar power motors in combination with indigenous knowledge about ocean currents and wind patterns, using natures forces to our advantage. We’re really going ‘back to the future’ with this technology.” I laugh out of politeness, but my eyes wander to an assortment of old newspapers, laid out to entertain travelers many years ago.

THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA INVADE THE HIGH SEAS; Conflict over access to ocean space escalates, Supreme Court leader rests case on the ‘fact’ that US never officially ratified the law of the sea; Is it technically legal to annex an area of the High Seas under US legislation? Incident sends waves of outrage through international policy community - ten out of twenty-one judges on the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea resign due to burnout!

“How was this possible?” I ask my new acquaintance. “Well… people feared an ecological catastrophe and got more confrontational under pressure. At that point, international negotiations such as the conference of the parties were a performance rather than an actual political event. Instead of limiting emissions to halt climate change, politicians agreed to designate the High Seas as a sink for more emissions, by planting endless seaweed monocultures and kelp forests. And thus, the race to the High Seas began, every country wanted a piece of it for their ‘mitigation measures’” he says sarcastically, adding air quotes for emphasis. “Of course, this added fuel to the existing conflicts as it was impossible to divide the ocean space in an equitable way. The crumbling institutions tried to make static plans for a place as inherently dynamic as the ocean.” While I am fascinated by this story, something else grabs my attention – I can spot Kairei City, the floating capital of the High Seas state on the horizon! It is mesmerizing, built entirely out of glass, which is breaking the sunlight, yet letting some rays shine all the way through to the water and the creatures in it.

After a tour of her place and lots of unpacking, Katara and I are lying on the crunchy meadow outside of the city. The nutrient dense shallow waters above submarine ridges are often coated with large seagrass patches, which can be used as outdoor spaces by the inhabitants. In the distance, I see some people seemingly chasing each other, gliding on boards while holding on to kites, with a ball being passed around. “They’re playing kitesurf lacrosse” Katara explains, “it is fantastically chaotic, we should play tomorrow.” As much as I would like that, I decline, since tomorrow I’ll have a job interview at the RFMO - the reformed fisheries management organization – to become a marine spatial planner. In the short time I have spent here, I already learned that nothing out here has fixed boundaries, as that is just not common in nature. Instead, all of our structures are moved around dynamically, to adapt to the oceans’ conditions. Protected areas follow fish migrations and are attuned to their lifecycles and behaviors. Similarly, seaweed plantations and kelp forests are moved to places with high nutrients and low oxygen, so they can balance out these areas and still have optimal growth. The floating structures in which the plants are cultivated are then used by fish as shelter and feed, which forms the basis of our multitrophic, cageless aquaculture. The city itself is moved whenever the solar sails can’t collect enough sunlight, or we feel like we are disturbing the wildlife with our continued presence. 

Interrupting my thoughts, Katara jumps to her feat, suddenly stressed “Oh crab, I forgot about the assembly! Come with me, we’re already late.” Hand in hand we run through the city, which is crisscrossed by canals and bridges, ensuring that the ocean is near every home. “What kind of assembly are we late to?” I ask, already out of breath. “The whole city will meet to discuss a new experimental governance approach. The High Seas state was only a first step in truly honoring nature as a partner, not as a commodity. Recently, we declared the ocean as its own legal entity, with inherent rights that we are here to protect. We are still learning how to implement this and since governance should be based on our shared experiences, everyone is asked to participate in the discussions. This might be a little foreign to you, but you’ll fit in alright. The main thing you need to understand is that this place is part of us now, it’s our home.” Just in time, we reach an open space in which people have gathered in a circle, with the speakers of this assembly placed in the middle. A young woman takes center stage and begins the gathering with a speech “Welcome to the 45th biannual assembly of the Fluid Pluriversity, I am so glad you are here”.

“I have never heard this name before” I whisper to Katara. “I know” she nods “this is what we call ourselves, but it is a bit esoteric for the international policy arena, so they just call us the High Seas state”. She gestures that I should focus on the speech. “As you all know, our beautiful, life-giving ocean needs to be cared for in a holistic manner, by a united, responsible entity. We are all devoted to the same goal, but we must not forget our roots and continue to celebrate the plurality of ways we value and relate to the ocean. I believe that the deeper you move into participating in the transcendent, the more you find that there is great individuality within it. We’re all one, but we are all unique representations of it. I look forward to hearing your thoughts and learning together today.” I glance over at Katara again, this time visibly confused. “You’ll understand once you’ve spent some time here,” she says softly. This is great news since I certainly don’t understand it now, but I get where the ‘esoteric’ comes from. I let my gaze wander along the faces in the crowd to the transparent roofs of Kairei City, breaking the light of the setting sun like a kaleidoscope. I can feel myself dozing off, while trying to listen to the speech and the following discussion. It’s been a long day and I am exhausted, but also excited to see what tomorrow will bring; there is so much to learn here.

Credits: 

The text of this story is the copyright of Hannah Marlen Lübker. This image is the copyright of Elias Stern and reproduced with permission.