Maritime policy is the area where policy concerned with the economics of marine transportation, ports; and environmental protection overlap. The operating part of the maritime industry is called the "Merchant Marine" in the USA, the "Merchant Navy" in the UK and most commonwealth countries. The phrases practically beg for misunderstanding and, indeed, it's very common for laypeople to think the merchant marine is some sort of a military service. This misapprehension is helped along by the titles used, "Captain", "Chief Enginer", "Boatswain".

With some notable and some partial exceptions, merchant marines and merchant navies are civilian enterprises making -- or attempting to make -- money from operating things that float.

Government agencies, non-govermental organizations (or, NGOs), academia, and private enterprise all affect maritime policy. This page is a resource