Revista Sextante

Strategic Intelligence and Information-Sharing Mechanisms in Maritime Threat Prevention

Oluwaseun T. Adeyemi

Department of Maritime Intelligence and Security Studies, Gulf of Guinea Institute for Maritime Security Research, Lagos, Nigeria

Keywords: maritime intelligence, information sharing, threat prevention, maritime domain awareness, security cooperation

Abstract

Preventing maritime threats depends on knowing what is happening at sea, who is involved, and what is likely to happen next. This article examines the role of strategic intelligence and information sharing mechanisms in the prevention of maritime threats such as piracy, trafficking, terrorism, illegal fishing, and hostile naval activity. It reviews the conceptual foundations of maritime intelligence, adapts the intelligence cycle to the maritime domain, and surveys the sources of information available at sea and ashore. It then analyses how fusion and analysis produce maritime domain awareness, how states and organisations structure information sharing, and which legal, political, and trust related barriers constrain cooperation. The article also considers experience from regional arrangements and the technical and governance challenges of handling shared data securely. Drawing on intelligence studies, security cooperation scholarship, and maritime surveillance research, the analysis finds that prevention improves when intelligence is timely, analytically rigorous, and shared through trusted channels, but that sovereignty concerns, classification rules, technical incompatibility, and cognitive bias limit performance. The article concludes with recommendations for building interoperable, trusted, and well governed information sharing systems that support early action at sea.