Regulatory fees serve several purposes: to compensate states for the use of their maritime space, to ensure environmental protection, and to support administrative processes related to the protection of submarine cables, including instances of conflict with other new seabed infrastructure.

In submarine cable damage litigation, judges frequently question the exorbitant costs of maintenance operations. Surprisingly, from 30% and up to 70% of the total average repair cost (USD 1.5-2 million) stems from fuel expenses for vessel transit from port bases to fault locations, rather than the repair itself. This raises a critical consideration: Could alternative maintenance vessels in closer proximity have reduced fuel consumption and costs?