Leveraging AI to objectively analyze legal frameworks protecting the marine environment: a focus on enforced bans
Abstract
Marine ecosystems face increasing threats, yet legal protections often fail due to fragmented enforcement and a lack of monitoring tools. While qualitative assessments exist, systematic comparisons of policy effectiveness remain elusive. Here, we present an AI-powered legal observatory quantifying marine environmental law enforcement across 15 French-speaking African coastal states. Analyzing seven key prohibitions, including plastic bags, bottom trawling, and oil discharges, reveals stark disparities. Although 92% of states ban plastic bags, only 38% impose penalties. Coastal sand extraction is restricted in just 40% of these countries, with significant gaps in operational sanctions and monitoring. By integrating empirical legal indicators with machine learning, we demonstrate how AI automates cross-country comparisons, identifies enforcement weaknesses, and tracks policy evolution over time. This approach provides a replicable framework for dynamic, data-driven marine governance, essential for tackling transboundary challenges like climate change and biodiversity erosion.
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BibTeX
@article{bonnin2026leveraging,
title = {{Leveraging AI to objectively analyze legal frameworks protecting the marine environment: a focus on enforced bans}},
author = {Marie Bonnin and Youssef Al Mouatamid and Margot Perdereau and Chaymae Kaouri and Youness Taissir and Sebastien Hervé and Adrien Comte and Sophie Lanco and Jihad Zahir},
journal = {npj Ocean Sustainability},
year = {2026},
month = jun,
doi = {10.1038/s44183-026-00221-1},
url = {https://hal.science/hal-05823917v1},
note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Leveraging AI to objectively analyze legal frameworks protecting the marine environment: a focus on enforced bans
AU - Marie Bonnin
AU - Youssef Al Mouatamid
AU - Margot Perdereau
AU - Chaymae Kaouri
AU - Youness Taissir
AU - Sebastien Hervé
AU - Adrien Comte
AU - Sophie Lanco
AU - Jihad Zahir
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/06/01
JO - npj Ocean Sustainability
DO - 10.1038/s44183-026-00221-1
UR - https://hal.science/hal-05823917v1
AB - Marine ecosystems face increasing threats, yet legal protections often fail due to fragmented enforcement and a lack of monitoring tools. While qualitative assessments exist, systematic comparisons of policy effectiveness remain elusive. Here, we present an AI-powered legal observatory quantifying marine environmental law enforcement across 15 French-speaking African coastal states. Analyzing seven key prohibitions, including plastic bags, bottom trawling, and oil discharges, reveals stark disparities. Although 92% of states ban plastic bags, only 38% impose penalties. Coastal sand extraction is restricted in just 40% of these countries, with significant gaps in operational sanctions and monitoring. By integrating empirical legal indicators with machine learning, we demonstrate how AI automates cross-country comparisons, identifies enforcement weaknesses, and tracks policy evolution over time. This approach provides a replicable framework for dynamic, data-driven marine governance, essential for tackling transboundary challenges like climate change and biodiversity erosion.
SN - 2731-426X
ER -