Importance of Oceans
The Ocean is a vital source of animal protein for billions of people throughout the world.
More than 50% of the world population lives on the coasts, and it will be 75% in 2025.
Shipping accounts for the transport of 90% of the world’s international traded goods. The
Ocean holds considerable amounts of precious mineral and energy resources such as oil,
gas, salt, precious metals. It accounts for 140 million jobs in fishing and aquaculture and
many more in indirect employment in sea related activities (distribution of sea food,
shipping, tourism, sea mining, marine military activities, science related activities, leisure
activities). The Ocean has a fundamental political and military strategic importance.
Who owns the Oceans?
United Nations Convention on the Law of the Seas (UNCLOS)
In 1982 was created after the third conference regarding the implementation of international law
onto the oceans. This Convention was ratified in 1994 and was fully implemented that year when
a 60th nation signed on to the Convention. While the UN Convention on the Law of the Seas might
not be regarded as international law by some nations, it has remained the go-to body for policing
of international waters, creating nautical policies, and more.
It states the different rights and regulations regarding specific nations’ rights to oceans. For
instance, coastal states have jurisdiction over the 12 nautical miles off their coastlines, and 200
nautical miles are reserved for specific states to utilize the oceanic materials, living and nonliving,
in their zone. This can include fishing, the mining of minerals but also includes the obligation to
protect the ocean and its biodiversity.
It set down the rules and regulations for nations and their use of the oceans in partnership
with each other and in their exclusive rights. As mentioned above a nation has the right to
use the resources of the ocean up to 200 nautical miles, but outside of this zone is
considered international waters and the innocent passage of ships hailing from other
nations is guaranteed.
Is to help regulate and mitigate the pollution and environmental damage caused by every
nation on Earth through studies, reports, and other methods of environmental activism.
The types of specific oceanic ownership (of sorts) fall into the following categories as
defined by the United Nations:
Jurisdictional provisions - refers to a particular nation’s obligation to care for the ocean, its
resources, and its use as a mode of transportation within certain reaches of its coastal shores.
Jurisdictional provisions allow a nation to put their rules and regulations regarding the uses of
that specific portion of the ocean.
Territorial sea - is defined by the UN Convention on the Law of the Seas as 12 nautical miles,
or 22 kilometers, away from a coastal baseline point. The nation in question can regulate use of
this space for transportation, resources, use, and determine whether or not the practice of innocent
passage is beneficial or detrimental to their own security.
Contiguous zone - is considered to be 12 kilometers beyond the territorial sea and is used to
enforce a nation’s laws regarding customs and immigration, pollution, and for taxation purposes.
If anyone has broken the laws of the host nation in this zone regarding in any of the four
previously stated areas, the host nation has jurisdiction over that zone and situation.
Exclusive economic zone (EEZ) - is 200 nautical miles from a host nation’s coastline that
allows them access to all natural resources within that zone. The EEZ encompasses the territorial
sea of a nation and often is based upon a continental shelf. This zone allows for the exploitation
of resources (such as underwater oil mining, fishing, submarine activity, etc.) but also for the
passage of foreign nations both by sea and air, privy to the regulations of the host country.
The high seas or international water - refer to anything outside of the 200 nautical mile
radius of any sovereign nation. In these areas ships or aircraft are under the rules and regulations
of the nation whose flag they are flying; however, if any laws are broken, such as piracy, any
nation may exercise universal jurisdiction and prosecute the offending vessel.