The term development lends itself to ambiguity and is understood differently depending on the perspective from which it is assessed. Therefore, it is important to establish the context in which we will be dealing with the subject matter. From a development economic perspective, the term ‘development’ generally refers to the extent to which economic growth in one sector produces a positive impact on other sectors of the economy while minimizing the cost of growth.1 Therefore, the focus here is not on the frequently interchangeable term ‘economic growth’, which generally means an increase in size of output in a sector. In chapter 3, the concept of development was presented as the utilization of national maritime resources to improve the economy of the state. In this chapter we will be assessing some of the relevant development theories and how they fit in with the choice of maritime cabotage policy in different sovereign states. The idea is to extrapolate an understanding that is synonymous with the various approaches of maritime cabotage law from the various discourses on development. Furthermore, the theories of development that are relevant to the concept of maritime cabotage will be investigated and posited against the concept of ‘developmental sovereignty’.