Academic Article: Navigating Through Bias in the Post-Truth Era: The "Shadow Fleet" and Selective Sanctioning
Abstract
The terms “Shadow fleet” and “Dark fleet” are pervasive in political briefings, media, and maritime sanctions discourse, reflecting a post-truth phenomenon where emotive labeling and ideological agendas overshadow legal clarity and empirical evidence. This article critiques the ambiguous and selective instrumentalization of the “shadow fleet” concept, demonstrating how this rhetorical construct functions as a tool for economic exclusion, geopolitical signaling, and normative control, rather than as a classification grounded in international maritime law. Drawing on philosophical, legal, and geopolitical analyses, this research reveals that legitimate maritime operations are unfairly forced into a gray area and proposes solutions, including globally recognized definitions, adherence to the burden of proof, independent oversight, fleet modernization, and risk-based enforcement to enhance transparency, fairness, and maritime stability.
Keywords
Bias, post-truth era, sanctions, dark fleet, shadow fleet, insurance, marine insurance
DOI: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.12426131
