Exclusive Economic Zone

In international maritime law, an Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) is a seazone extending from a state's coast over which the state has special rights over the exploration and use of marine resources. Generally a state's EEZ extends 200 nautical miles (370.4 kilometers) out from its coast, except where resulting points would be closer to another country.

This concept of allotting nations EEZs to give better control of maritime affairs outside territorial limits gained acceptance in the late 20th century and was given binding international recognition by the Third United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea in 1982.

The United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, Part V, Article 55 states:

Specific legal regime of the Exclusive Economic Zone

The Exclusive Economic Zone is an area beyond and adjacent to the territorial sea, subject to the specific legal regime established in this Part, under which the rights and jurisdiction of the coastal State and the rights and freedoms of other States are governed by the relevant provisions of this Convention.

Fisheries management is a significant aspect of the resulting control.

Disputes over the exact extent of Exclusive Economic Zones are a common source of conflict between states over marine waters. The most famous European example is probably the Cod War.

Contents

1 By country 1.1 Australia 1.2 France 1.3 Russia 1.4 United States 2 References 3 External links

By country

Australia

• Seas and Submerged Lands Act 1973

Australia has the third largest Exclusive Economic Zone, behind the United States and France, but ahead of Russia, with the total area actually exceeding that of its land territory. As per UN convention, Australia's EEZ generally extends 200 nautical miles from the coastline of Australia and its external territories, except where a maritime delimitation agreement exists with another state ^{Antarctic Territory but has requested it not be considered, in accordance with the Antarctic TreatyHeard & McDonald Islands 410 722 Christmas Island463 371 Cocos Islands325 021 Norfolk Island428 618 Macquarie Island471 837 Australia6 048 681 TOTAL8 148 250}

France

Due to its numerous overseas departments and territories scattered on all oceans of the planet, France possesses the second-largest EEZ in the world, covering 11,035,000 km² (4,260,000 sq. miles), just behind the EEZ of the United States (11,351,000 km² / 4,383,000 sq. miles), but ahead of the EEZ of Australia (8,232,000 km² / 3,178,000 sq. miles). According to a different calculation cited by the Pew Research Center, the EEZ of France would be 10,084,201 km² (3,893,532 sq. miles), behind the United States (12,174,629 km² / 4,700,651 sq. miles), but ahead of Australia (8,980,568 km² / 3,467,416 sq. miles) and Russia (7,566,673 km² / 2,921,508 sq. miles).

The EEZ of France covers approximately 8% of the total surface of all the EEZs of the world, whereas the land area of the French Republic is only 0.45% of the total land area of the Earth.

Russia

United States

• Magnuson-Stevens Fisheries Conservation and Management Act of 1976

References

1. ^  Geoscience Australia (2005). Maritime Boundary Definitions.
2. ^  Division for Ocean Affairs and the Law of the Sea. Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf, Submission by Australia.

External links

• United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea - Part V
• Sea Around Us Project - View the EEZ of all nations
• The USA zone since 1977
• Submissions of the parties in a court case on the exercise of the right of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines in the exclusive economic zone of Guinea
• Maritime boundaries of the World (image)

See also: Exclusive Economic Zone, 1982, 1 E13 m², 20th century, Admiralty law, Antarctic Treaty, Australia, Australian Antarctic Territory