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Exclusive Economic Zone
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Under the law of the sea, an Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) is a seazone over which a state has special rights over the exploration and use of marine resources.
rally a state's EEZ extends to a distance of 200 nautical miles (370 km) out from its coast.
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Encyclopedia
Under the law of the sea, an Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) is a seazone over which a state has special rights over the exploration and use of marine resources.
Definition
Generally a state's EEZ extends to a distance of 200 nautical miles (370 km) out from its coast. The exception to this rule occurs when EEZs would overlap; that is, state coastal baselines are less than apart. When an overlap occurs, it is up to the states to delineate the actual boundary. Generally, any point within an overlapping area defaults to the most proximate state.
The Exclusive Economic Zone starts at the coastal baseline and extends out into the sea, perpendicular to the baseline. Thus, the EEZ overlaps both the contiguous zone and territorial waters. States also have rights to the seabed of the continental shelf up to from the coast, where this extends beyond the EEZ, but this does not form part of their EEZ.
Origin of EEZ
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.
Part V, Article 55 of the Convention 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.
, the Spratlys in particular.]]
EEZ disputes
Disputes over the exact extent of Exclusive Economic Zones are a common source of conflict between states over marine waters.
- One well-known example of such a dispute was the Cod Wars between the United Kingdom and Iceland.
- The dispute over Rockall is mainly due to its effect on EEZ, not on its resources or strategic benefits.
- The South China Sea (and the Spratly Islands) is the site of an ongoing dispute between several neighboring nations.
- There is an ongoing dispute over defining continental shelf and EEZ between Turkey and Greece.
- Conflict of Croatia with Italy and Slovenia over Croatian ZERP in Adriatic sea.
Regions where a permanent ice shelf extends beyond the coastline are also sources of potential dispute.
Transboundary stocks
Fisheries management, usually adhering to guidelines set by the FAO, provides significant practical mechanisms for the control of EEZs. Transboundary fish stocks are an important concept in this control.
Transboundary stocks are fish stocks that range in the EEZs of at least two countries. They can be contrasted with straddling stocks, which range both within an EEZ as well as in the high seas, outside any EEZ. A stock can be both transboundary and straddling.
Rankings by area
! colspan="3"| List of countries' EEZ by area
|-
!Country
!EEZ +
Terr. Waters
!EEZ only
|-
| > 11,351,000 kmē
|-
|  | 11,035,000 kmē
|-
|  | 10 648 250 kmē
|-
|  | 7,566,673 kmē
|-
|  | 5,599,077 kmē | 2,755,564 kmē
|-
|  | 4,479,358 kmē
|-
|  | 4,083,744 kmē
|-
| | 3,973,760 kmē
|-
|  | 3,660,955 kmē
|-
|  | 3,179,920 kmē
|-
|  | 2,017,717 kmē
|-
|  | 1,727,408 kmē
|-
|  | 1,641,514 kmē
|-
|  | 1,535,538 kmē
|-
|  | 1,284,997 kmē
|-
|  | 1,225,259 kmē
|-
|  | 1,159,063 kmē
|-
|  | 877,019 kmē
|-
|}
|
! colspan="2"| List of countries' EEZ
plus territorial waters
plus territories onshore area
|-
| 24,641,873 kmē
|-
| | 20,982,418 kmē
|-
| | 18,335,100 kmē
|-
| | 15,583,747 kmē
|-
| | 12,175,831 kmē
|-
| | 11,709,843 kmē
|-
| | 10,476,979 kmē
|-
| | 5,559,733 kmē
|-
| | 5,144,295 kmē
|-
| | 4,857,193 kmē
|-
| | 4,352,424 kmē
|-
| | 4,218, 580 km
|-
| | 3,925,953 kmē
|-
| | 2,773,813 kmē
|-
| | 2,756,575 kmē
|-
| | 1,819,799 kmē
|-
| | 1,812,299 kmē
|-
|}
|
> |
By country
Argentina
1,159,063 kmē
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 (370 km) from the coastline of Australia and its external territories, except where a maritime delimitation agreement exists with another state.
The United Nations Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf confirmed, in April 2008, Australia's rights over an additional 2.5 million square kilometres of seabed beyond the limits of Australia's EEZ. Australia also claimed, in its submission to the UN Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf, an EEZ of 200 nautical miles (370 km) from its Antarctic Territory but has requested it not be considered, in accordance with the Antarctic Treaty. Nevertheless, Australia maintains the right to explore and exploit the seabed and water column within its EEZ.
See also: Australian Whale Sanctuary
| EEZ | Area (kmē) |
|---|
| Heard and McDonald Islands | 410,722
|  | 463,371
| | 325,021
|  | 428,618
| | Macquarie Island | 471,837
| | Recent United Nations Approvals | 2,500,000
| | 6,048,681
| | TOTAL | 10,648,250
|
Brazil
Brazil's Exclusive Economic Zone covers 3,660,995 kmē.
In 2004, the country submitted its claims to the United Nations Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf (CLCS) to extend its maritime continental margin.
Canada
Canada is unusual in that its Exclusive Economic Zone, covering 2,755,564 kmē, is slightly smaller than its territorial waters. The latter generally extend only from the shore, but also include inland marine waters such as Hudson Bay (about across), the Gulf of Saint Lawrence and the internal waters of the Arctic archipelago.
European Union
The EEZ of the European Union is shared, so vessels or a national from one country can fish in another country's EEZ. The combined zone amounts to 25 million kmē, making it larger than the United States' zone, the largest of any single country. '"See: Common Fisheries Policy.
France
Due to its numerous overseas départements and territories scattered on all oceans of the planet, France possesses the second-largest EEZ in the world, covering 11,035,000 kmē (4,260,000 miē), just behind the EEZ of the United States (11,351,000 kmē / 4,383,000 miē), but ahead of the EEZ of Australia (10,648,250 kmē / 4,111,312 miē). According to a different calculation cited by the Pew Research Center, the EEZ of France would be 10,084,201 kmē (3,893,532 miē), behind the United States (12,174,629 kmē / 4,700,651 miē) and Australia (10,648,250 kmē / 4,111,312 miē), but ahead of Russia (7,566,673 kmē / 2,921,508 miē).
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.
Greece
Greece has not yet claimed an exclusive economic zone, although it is entitled to do so, as per UNCLOS 1982 as well as customary international law. The reason for its inaction is the direct Turkish threat of casus belli.
Turkey's declaration of casus belli is not related to the EEZ issue. Turkey claims that the Aegean Sea's status as a semi-closed sea affords it a special nature (unlike other semi-closed seas as the Adriatic or even fully enclosed seas as the Black Sea). Moreover, Turkey is not among the signatories of UNCLOS which allows countries to expand the width of their territorial waters up to . Even though Turkey is a persistent objector to the relevant article of UNCLOS, it has expanded its own territorial waters in the Black Sea to . In 1995, just after Greece's ratification of UNCLOS, Turkey declared that if Greece expands the width of her territorial waters over , Turkey would conceive this action as a containment attempt and a direct offence to her sovereignty. So, the Turkish Parliament decided that if Greece attempts to expand the width of her territorial waters it would be a cause of war (casus belli).
Portugal
327,667 kmē
953,633 kmē
446,108 kmē
Portugal has the 3rd largest Exclusive Economic Zone of the EU and the 11th in the world.
A dispute with Spain arose after a number of incidents. Spain defends that the southernmost EEZ border between Spain and Portugal should consist on an equidistant line drawn halfway between Madeira and the Canary Islands. But Portugal exercises sovereignty over the Savage Islands (a small archipelago north of the Canaries) thus pushing the EEZ border further south.
Spain objects on the basis that the Savage Islands do not have a separate continental shelf, according to the article 121 of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea:
"Rocks which cannot sustain human habitation or economic life of their own shall have no exclusive economic zone or continental shelf."
However, the Savage Islands do sustain human habitation, annulling the Spanish argument.
United Kingdom
- 764,071 kmē
- Ascension Island (UK): 443,844 kmē
- (UK): 636,600 kmē
- Channel Islands (UK): 6,517 kmē
 (UK): 331 kmē (UK): 8,247 kmē- (UK): 837,221 kmē
 (UK): 446,616 kmē (UK): 749,612 kmē- (UK): 80,701 kmē
- total: 3,973,760 kmē
India
Japan
Japan has disputes over its EEZ boundaries with all its Asian neighbours (Russia, South Korea, PRC and ROC). The above and relevant maps at the Sea Around Us Project both indicates Japan's claimed boundaries, and does not take into account neighbouring power's claims.
Mexico
.]]
Mexico's Exclusive Economic Zones comprise a total surface area of 5,144,295 kmē, and places Mexico among the countries with the largest areas in the world.
New Zealand
New Zealand's EEZ covers 4,083,744 kmē, according to the Sea Around Us Project, which is approximately fifteen times the land area of the country. Sources vary significantly on the size of New Zealand's EEZ; for example, a recent government publication gave the area as roughly 4,300,000 kmē. These figures are for the EEZ of New Zealand proper, and do not include the EEZs of other territories in the Realm of New Zealand (Tokelau, Niue, the Cook Islands and the Ross Dependency).
Norway
Norway has a large exclusive economic zone of 819 620 kmē around its coast. The country has a fishing zone of 1,878,953 kmē, including fishing zones around Svalbard and Jan Mayen . The fact that the European Union shares its economic zones was a big reason why Norway did not enter the EU as a member.
Pakistan
Philippines
Philippines' EEZ covers 1,590,780 (272,921) kmē according to website.
Russia
- Asia: 6,382,530
- Baltic: 24,549
- Barents Sea: 1,159,594
- total 7,566,673 kmē
South Africa
South Africa's EEZ includes both that next to the African mainland and that around the Prince Edward Islands, totalling 1 535 538 kmē.
- Mainland 1 068 659 kmē
- Prince Edward islands 466 879 kmē
South Korea
Area: 300,851 (225,214) kmē
United States
information needed
Largest EEZ in the world: 11,351,000 kmē / 4,383,000 miē
Magnuson-Stevens Fisheries Conservation and Management Act of 1976
See also
External links
-
- (Note that this site does not distinguish between territorial waters and the EEZ, and so tends to overstate EEZ areas.)
-
- GIS data : http://www.vliz.be/vmdcdata/marbound/
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