P2 - Soverignty of Ocean resources

What are Territorial Waters?

The waters extending from the coast to 12 nautical miles, where the coastal state has full control over fishing, shipping, resources, and security.

What is allowed in Territorial Waters?

Foreign ships are allowed innocent passage.

What is the Contiguous Zone?

The area extending from 12 to 24 nautical miles from the coast, where a country can enforce customs, immigration, and pollution laws.

What is the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ)?

An area extending up to 200 nautical miles from the coast, where a country has exclusive rights to fishing and natural resources.

What rights do other countries have in the EEZ?

Other countries are allowed free navigation.

What is the Extended Continental Shelf?

An area beyond 200 nautical miles that can extend to 350 nautical miles if the seabed is a natural extension, granting rights only over seabed resources.

How are claims to the Extended Continental Shelf reviewed?

Claims are reviewed under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).

What are the High Seas?

Areas beyond national ownership that are open to all countries for shipping, fishing, and research, with no country having sovereignty.

What is the International Seabed Area?

The deep seabed beyond EEZs, which is managed internationally under UNCLOS and wherein resources are shared as the common heritage of mankind.