Baseline

Baseline (sea)
Normally, the baseline from which the territorial sea is measured is the low-water line
along the coast as marked on large-scale charts officially recognized by the coastal state.
This is either the low-water mark closest to the shore, or alternatively it may be an
unlimited distance from ermanently e!osed land, rovided that some ortion of
elevations e!osed at low tide but covered at high tide (like mud flats) is within "#
nautical miles (## km$ "% mi) of ermanently e!osed land. &traight baselines can
alternatively be defined connecting fringing islands along a coast, across the mouths of
rivers, or with certain restrictions across the mouths of bays. 'n this case, a bay is defined
as (a well-marked indentation whose enetration is in such roortion to the width of its
mouth as to contain land-locked waters and constitute more than a mere curvature of the
coast. )n indentation shall not, however, be regarded as a bay unless its area is as large
as, or larger than, that of the semi-circle whose diameter is a line drawn across the mouth
of that indentation(. The baseline across the bay must also be no more than #% nautical
miles (%% km$ #* mi) in length.
Internal waters
+aters landward of the baseline are defined as internal waters, over which the state has
comlete sovereignty, not even innocent assage is allowed. -akes and rivers are
considered internal waters. )ll (archielagic waters( within the outermost islands of an
archielagic state such as 'ndonesia or the .hiliines are also considered internal waters,
and are treated the same with the e!cetion that innocent assage through them must be
allowed. /owever, archielagic states may designate certain sea lanes through these
waters.
Territorial sea
) state0s territorial sea e!tends u to "# nautical miles (##.# km$ "1.* mi) from its
baseline. 'f this would overla with another state0s territorial sea, the border is taken as
the median oint between the states0 baselines, unless the states in 2uestion agree
otherwise. ) state can also choose to claim a smaller territorial sea.
3onflicts still occur whenever a coastal nation claims an entire gulf as its territorial
waters while other nations only recognize the more restrictive definitions of the 4N
convention. Two recent conflicts occurred in the 5ulf of &idra where -ibya has claimed
the entire gulf as its territorial waters and the 4.&. has twice enforced freedom of
navigation rights, in the "6*" and "6*6 5ulf of &idra incidents.
Contiguous zone
The contiguous zone is a band of water e!tending from the outer edge of the territorial
sea to u to #% nautical miles (%%.% km$ #7.8 mi) from the baseline, within which a state
can e!ert limited control for the urose of reventing or unishing (infringement of its
customs, fiscal, immigration or sanitary laws and regulations within its territory or
territorial sea(. This will tyically be "# nautical miles (## km$ "% mi) wide, but could be
more (if a state has chosen to claim a territorial sea of less than "# nautical miles), or less,
if it would otherwise overla another state0s contiguous zone. /owever, unlike the
territorial sea, there is no standard rule for resolving such conflicts and the states in
2uestion must negotiate their own comromise. The 4nited &tates invoked a contiguous
zone out to #% nmi on #% &etember "666.9#:
Exclusive economic zone
)n e!clusive economic zone e!tends from the outer limit of the territorial sea to a
ma!imum of #;; nautical miles (17;.% km$ #1;.# mi) from the territorial sea baseline,
thus it includes the contiguous zone.91: ) coastal nation has control of all economic
resources within its e!clusive economic zone, including fishing, mining, oil e!loration,
and any ollution of those resources. /owever, it cannot rohibit assage or loitering
above, on, or under the surface of the sea that is in comliance with the laws and
regulations adoted by the coastal &tate in accordance with the rovisions of the 4N
3onvention, within that ortion of its e!clusive economic zone beyond its territorial sea.
Before "6*#, coastal nations arbitrarily e!tended their territorial waters in an effort to
control activities which are now regulated by the e!clusive economic zone, such as
offshore oil e!loration or fishing rights (see 3od +ars). 'ndeed, the e!clusive economic
zone is still oularly, though erroneously, called a coastal nation0s territorial waters.
Continental shelf
)rticle 789%: gives the legal definition of continental shelf of coastal countries. <or the
hysical geograhy definition, see the continental shelf age.
The continental shelf of a coastal nation e!tends out to the outer edge of the continental
margin but at least #;; nautical miles (17; km$ #1; mi) from the baselines of the
territorial sea if the continental margin does not stretch that far. The outer limit of a
country0s continental shelf shall not stretch beyond 1=; nautical miles (8=; km$ %;; mi)
of the baseline, or beyond ";; nautical miles ("6; km$ "#; mi) from the #,=;; metres
(*,#;; ft) isobath, which is a line connecting the deths of the seabed at #,=;; meters.
The outer edge of the continental margin for the uroses of this article is defined as,
a series of lines >oining oints not more than 8; nautical miles (""; km$ 86
mi) aart where the thickness of sedimentary rocks is at least "? of the height
of the continental shelf above the foot of the continental sloe$ or
a series of lines >oining oints not more than 8; nautical miles aart that is not
more than 8; nautical miles from the foot of the continental margin.
The foot of the continental sloe is determined as the oint of ma!imum change in the
gradient at its base.
The ortion of the continental shelf beyond the #;; nautical mile limit is also known as
the extended continental shelf. 3ountries wishing to delimit their outer continental shelf
beyond #;; nautical miles have to submit information on their claim to the 3ommission
on the -imits of the 3ontinental &helf. The 3ommission must make recommendations on
matters related to the establishment of the outer limits of their continental shelf. The
limits established based on these recommendations shall be final and binding.
3ountries were suosed to lodge their submissions to e!tend their continental shelf
beyond #;; nautical miles within ten years of 4N3-@& coming into force in the country,
or by "1 Aay #;;6 for countries where the convention had come into force before "1
Aay "666. )s of " Bune #;;6, =" submissions have been lodged with the 3ommission, of
which eight have been deliberated by the 3ommission and have had recommendations
issued. The eight are (in the order of date of submission), Cussian <ederation$ Brazil$
)ustralia$ 'reland$ New Dealand$ the >oint submission by <rance, 'reland, &ain and the
4nited Eingdom$ Norway and Ae!ico.
Rights over the continental shelf
)rticles 77 to *" define the rights of a country over its continental shelf.
) coastal nation has control of all resources on or under its continental shelf, living or
not, but no control over any living organisms above the shelf that are beyond its e!clusive
economic zone. This gives it the right to conduct etroleum drilling works and lay
submarine cables or ielines in its continental shelf.
)n e!amle of this is the ongoing disute over resources in the )rctic area, which will be
decided by the e!act maing of the continental shelves..
Miscellaneous
.irate radio broadcasting from artificial marine fi!tures or anchored shis can be
controlled by the affected coastal nation or other nations wherever that broadcast may
originate, whether in the territorial sea, e!clusive economic zone, the continental shelf or
even on the high seas.9*:
Thus a coastal nation has total control over its internal waters, slightly less control over
territorial waters, and ostensibly even less control over waters within the contiguous
zones. /owever, it has total control of economic resources within its e!clusive economic
zone as well as those on or under its continental shelf.
Throughout this article, distances measured in nautical miles are e!act legal definitions,
while those in kilometres are aro!imate conversions that are not stated in any law or
treaty.
<ederal nations, such as the 4nited &tates, divide control over certain waters between the
federal government and the individual states. (&ee tidelands.)
Territorial sea claim
Aaritime controversies involve two dimensions, (a) territorial sovereignty, which are a
legacy of history$ and (b) relevant >urisdictional rights and interests in maritime
boundaries, which are mainly due to differing interretations of the law of the sea.
State Policies
&tate .olicies, also known as Tasmanian &ustainable Feveloment .olicies, are made
under the State Policies and Projects Act 1993 (the )ct) to articulate the Tasmanian
5overnment0s strategic olicy direction on matters of &tate significance. +hile &tate
.olicies do not override legislation, they are statutory instruments designed to guide the
rovisions of local government lanning schemes and a range of other mechanisms
identified in the relevant legislation comrising the Cesource Aanagement and .lanning
&ystem (CA.&).
The .remier is the Ainister resonsible for &tate .olicies.
&tate .olicies may contain matters relating to one or more of the following,
sustainable develoment of natural and hysical resources$
land use lanning$
land management$
environmental management$
environment rotection$ and
any other rescribed matter (no other matters are currently rescribed).
) &tate .olicy,
must seek to further the ob>ectives of the Cesource Aanagement and .lanning
&ystem (which are set out in &chedule " of the )ct)$
may be made only where there is, in the oinion of the Ainister, a matter of &tate
significance to be dealt with in the &tate .olicy$
must seek to ensure that a consistent and coordinated aroach is maintained
throughout the &tate with resect to the matters contained in the &tate .olicy$ and
must incororate the minimum amount of regulation necessary to achieve its
ob>ectives.
<urther detail about the develoment and assessment rocess for &tate .olicies can be
found on the website of the Tasmanian .lanning 3ommission.
State Coastal Policy !!" #P$%& '()B*
The &tate 3oastal .olicy alies the sustainable develoment ob>ectives of the CA.& to
Tasmania0s coast, and is guided by three main rinciles,
Natural and cultural values of the coast shall be rotected
The coast shall be used and develoed in a sustainable manner
'ntegrated management and rotection of the coastal zone is a shared
resonsibility.
The &tate 3oastal .olicy has been sub>ect to review and an associated statutory
assessment. <urther information about the review and the outcome of the assessment
rocess can be found on the Feartment of .rimary 'ndustries, .arks, +ater and
Gnvironment website.
)dditional information on ongoing work to develo a 3oastal .rotection and .lanning
<ramework can be found here.
State Policy on +ater ,uality Management !!- #P$%& ...)B*
The &tate .olicy on +ater Huality Aanagement rovides a framework for the
develoment of ambient water 2uality ob>ectives and the management and regulation of
sources of emissions to surface waters (including coastal waters) and groundwater. 't
aims to achieve the sustainable management of Tasmania0s surface water and
groundwater resources by rotecting or enhancing their 2ualities, while allowing for
sustainable develoment in accordance with the ob>ectives of the CA.&.
P/RT II
TERRIT0RI/1 SE/ /2$ C02TI3404S 502E
SECTI02 6 3E2ER/1 PR07ISI02S
Article2
Legal status of the territorial sea, of the air space
over the territorial sea and of its bed and subsoil
". The sovereignty of a coastal &tate e!tends, beyond its land territory and internal waters
and, in the case of an archielagic &tate, its archielagic waters, to an ad>acent belt of sea,
described as the territorial sea.
#. This sovereignty e!tends to the air sace over the territorial sea as well as to its bed
and subsoil.
1. The sovereignty over the territorial sea is e!ercised sub>ect to this 3onvention and to
other rules of international law.
SECTI02 .6 1IMITS 0% T8E TERRIT0RI/1 SE/
Article3
Breadth of the territorial sea
Gvery &tate has the right to establish the breadth of its territorial sea u to a limit not
e!ceeding "# nautical miles, measured from baselines determined in accordance with this
3onvention.
Article4
uter li!it of the territorial sea
The outer limit of the territorial sea is the line every oint of which is at a distance from
the nearest oint of the baseline e2ual to the breadth of the territorial sea.
Article"
#or!al baseline
G!cet where otherwise rovided in this 3onvention, the normal baseline for measuring
the breadth of the territorial sea is the low-water line along the coast as marked on large-
scale charts officially recognized by the coastal &tate.
Article$
%eefs
'n the case of islands situated on atolls or of islands having fringing reefs, the baseline for
measuring the breadth of the territorial sea is the seaward low-water line of the reef, as
shown by the aroriate symbol on charts officially recognized by the coastal &tate.
Article&
Straight baselines
". 'n localities where the coastline is deely indented and cut into, or if there is a fringe of
islands along the coast in its immediate vicinity, the method of straight baselines >oining
aroriate oints may be emloyed in drawing the baseline from which the breadth of
the territorial sea is measured.
#. +here because of the resence of a delta and other natural conditions the coastline is
highly unstable, the aroriate oints may be selected along the furthest seaward e!tent
of the low-water line and, notwithstanding subse2uent regression of the low-water line,
the straight baselines shall remain effective until changed by the coastal &tate in
accordance with this 3onvention.
1. The drawing of straight baselines must not deart to any areciable e!tent from the
general direction of the coast, and the sea areas lying within the lines must be sufficiently
closely linked to the land domain to be sub>ect to the regime of internal waters.
%. &traight baselines shall not be drawn to and from low-tide elevations, unless
lighthouses or similar installations which are ermanently above sea level have been built
on them or e!cet in instances where the drawing of baselines to and from such
elevations has received general international recognition.
=. +here the method of straight baselines is alicable under aragrah ", account may
be taken, in determining articular baselines, of economic interests eculiar to the region
concerned, the reality and the imortance of which are clearly evidenced by long usage.
8. The system of straight baselines may not be alied by a &tate in such a manner as to
cut off the territorial sea of another &tate from the high seas or an e!clusive economic
zone.
Article'
(nternal )aters
". G!cet as rovided in .art 'I, waters on the landward side of the baseline of the
territorial sea form art of the internal waters of the &tate.
#. +here the establishment of a straight baseline in accordance with the method set forth
in article 7 has the effect of enclosing as internal waters areas which had not reviously
been considered as such, a right of innocent assage as rovided in this 3onvention shall
e!ist in those waters.
Article9
*ouths of rivers
'f a river flows directly into the sea, the baseline shall be a straight line across the mouth
of the river between oints on the low-water line of its banks.
Article1+
Ba,s
". This article relates only to bays the coasts of which belong to a single &tate.
#. <or the uroses of this 3onvention, a bay is a well-marked indentation whose
enetration is in such roortion to the width of its mouth as to contain land-locked
waters and constitute more than a mere curvature of the coast. )n indentation shall not,
however, be regarded as a bay unless its area is as large as, or larger than, that of the
semi-circle whose diameter is a line drawn across the mouth of that indentation.
1. <or the urose of measurement, the area of an indentation is that lying between the
low-water mark around the shore of the indentation and a line >oining the low-water mark
of its natural entrance oints. +here, because of the resence of islands, an indentation
has more than one mouth, the semi-circle shall be drawn on a line as long as the sum total
of the lengths of the lines across the different mouths. 'slands within an indentation shall
be included as if they were art of the water area of the indentation.
%. 'f the distance between the low-water marks of the natural entrance oints of a bay
does not e!ceed #% nautical miles, a closing line may be drawn between these two low-
water marks, and the waters enclosed thereby shall be considered as internal waters.
=. +here the distance between the low-water marks of the natural entrance oints of a
bay e!ceeds #% nautical miles, a straight baseline of #% nautical miles shall be drawn
within the bay in such a manner as to enclose the ma!imum area of water that is ossible
with a line of that length.
8. The foregoing rovisions do not aly to so-called (historic( bays, or in any case
where the system of straight baselines rovided for in article 7 is alied.
Article11
Ports
<or the urose of delimiting the territorial sea, the outermost ermanent harbour works
which form an integral art of the harbour system are regarded as forming art of the
coast. @ff-shore installations and artificial islands shall not be considered as ermanent
harbour works.
Article12
%oadsteads
Coadsteads which are normally used for the loading, unloading and anchoring of shis,
and which would otherwise be situated wholly or artly outside the outer limit of the
territorial sea, are included in the territorial sea.
Article13
Lo)-tide elevations
". ) low-tide elevation is a naturally formed area of land which is surrounded by and
above water at low tide but submerged at high tide. +here a low-tide elevation is situated
wholly or artly at a distance not e!ceeding the breadth of the territorial sea from the
mainland or an island, the low-water line on that elevation may be used as the baseline
for measuring the breadth of the territorial sea.
#. +here a low-tide elevation is wholly situated at a distance e!ceeding the breadth of the
territorial sea from the mainland or an island, it has no territorial sea of its own.
Article14
.o!bination of !ethods for deter!ining baselines
The coastal &tate may determine baselines in turn by any of the methods rovided for in
the foregoing articles to suit different conditions.
Article1"
/eli!itation of the territorial sea bet)een States
)ith opposite or adjacent coasts
+here the coasts of two &tates are oosite or ad>acent to each other, neither of the two
&tates is entitled, failing agreement between them to the contrary, to e!tend its territorial
sea beyond the median line every oint of which is e2uidistant from the nearest oints on
the baselines from which the breadth of the territorial seas of each of the two &tates is
measured. The above rovision does not aly, however, where it is necessary by reason
of historic title or other secial circumstances to delimit the territorial seas of the two
&tates in a way which is at variance therewith.
Article1$
.harts and lists of geographical coordinates
". The baselines for measuring the breadth of the territorial sea determined in accordance
with articles 7, 6 and ";, or the limits derived therefrom, and the lines of delimitation
drawn in accordance with articles "# and "= shall be shown on charts of a scale or scales
ade2uate for ascertaining their osition. )lternatively, a list of geograhical coordinates
of oints, secifying the geodetic datum, may be substituted.
#. The coastal &tate shall give due ublicity to such charts or lists of geograhical
coordinates and shall deosit a coy of each such chart or list with the &ecretary-5eneral
of the 4nited Nations.
Baseline
5enerally seaking, the normal baseline is the low-water line along the coast as marked
on large-scale charts officially recognized by the coastal &tate. &ecial rules for
determining the baseline aly in a variety of circumstances, such as with bays, orts,
mouths of rivers, deely indented coastlines, fringing reefs, and roadsteads. 3onsistent
with these rules, the 4.&. baselines are the mean of the lower low tides as deicted on the
largest scale N@)) nautical charts. The 4.&. normal baselines are ambulatory and
sub>ect to changes as the coastline accretes and erodes.
Internal +aters
'nternal waters are the waters (for e!amle, bays and rivers) on the landward side of the
baseline from which the breadth of the territorial sea is measured. Gach coastal &tate has
full sovereignty over its internal waters as if they were art of its land territory. The right
of innocent assage does not aly in internal waters.
Territorial Sea
Gach coastal &tate may claim a territorial sea that e!tends seaward u to "# nautical miles
(nm) from its baselines. The coastal &tate e!ercises sovereignty over its territorial sea, the
air sace above it, and the seabed and subsoil beneath it. <oreign flag shis en>oy the
right of innocent assage while transiting the territorial sea sub>ect to laws and
regulations adoted by the coastal &tate that are in conformity with the -aw of the &ea
3onvention and other rules of international law relating to such assage.
Contiguous 5one
Gach coastal &tate may claim a contiguous zone ad>acent to and beyond its territorial sea
that e!tends seaward u to #% nm from its baselines. 'n its contiguous zone, a coastal
&tate may e!ercise the control necessary to revent the infringement of its customs,
fiscal, immigration or sanitary laws and regulations within its territory or territorial sea,
and unish infringement of those laws and regulations committed within its territory or
territorial sea. )dditionally, in order to control trafficking in archaeological and historical
ob>ects found at sea, a coastal &tate may resume that their removal from the seabed of
the contiguous zone without its consent is unlawful.
'n "67#, the 4.&. roclaimed a contiguous zone e!tending from 1 to "# miles offshore
(Feartment of &tate .ublic Notice 1=*, 17 <ed. Ceg. ""6;8 (Bune "=, "67#), consistent
with the "6=* 4N 3onvention on the Territorial &ea and 3ontiguous Done. 'n "666,
eleven years after .resident Ceagan e!tended the 4.&. territorial sea to "# miles,
.resident 3linton roclaimed a contiguous zone e!tending from "# to #% nm offshore
(.residential .roclamation No. 7#"6, )ugust #, "666), consistent with )rticle 11 of the
-aw of the &ea 3onvention.
Exclusive Economic 5one
Gach coastal &tate may claim an G!clusive Gconomic Done (GGD) beyond and ad>acent to
its territorial sea that e!tends seaward u to #;; nm from its baselines (or out to a
maritime boundary with another coastal &tate). +ithin its GGD, a coastal &tate has, (a)
sovereign rights for the urose of e!loring, e!loiting, conserving and managing
natural resources, whether living or nonliving, of the seabed and subsoil and the
suer>acent waters and with regard to other activities for the economic e!loitation and
e!loration of the zone, such as the roduction of energy from the water, currents and
winds$ (b) >urisdiction as rovided for in international law with regard to the
establishment and use of artificial islands, installations, and structures, marine scientific
research, and the rotection and reservation of the marine environment, and (c) other
rights and duties rovided for under international law.
The 4.&. claimed a #;; nm GGD in "6*1 (.residential .roclamation No. =;1; of Aarch
";, "6*1). The 4.&. GGD overlas its "# nm - #% nm contiguous zone.
Note, 4nder certain 4.&. fisheries laws, such as the Aagnuson-&tevens <ishery
3onservation and Aanagement )ct, the term GGD is defined as having an inner boundary
that is coterminous with the seaward (or outer) boundary of each of the coastal states of
the 4.&. &ee "8 4.&.3. "*;#(""). 4nder the &ubmerged -ands )ct, the seaward boundary
of each of the coastal states is generally three nautical (or geograhic) miles from the
coast line. The seaward boundaries of <lorida (5ulf of Ae!ico coast only), Te!as and
.uerto Cico e!tend nine nautical miles from the coast line. 'n the 5reat -akes, each
stateJs seaward boundary may e!tend to the international maritime boundary with
3anada. &ee 11 4.&.3. "1"#. 4nder the &ubmerged -ands )ct, a coastal stateJs seaward
boundary can be fi!ed by &ureme 3ourt decree. (&ee below for further information on
the Three Nautical Aile -ine and the Natural Cesources Boundary.)
Three 2autical Mile 1ine
The Three Nautical Aile -ine, as measured from the territorial sea baseline and
reviously identified as the outer limit of the 4.&. territorial sea, is retained on N@))
charts because it continues to be used in certain federal laws.
Note, &ince the (coast line,( a term used in the &ubmerged -ands )ct, %1 4.&.3. "1;" et
se2., and the baseline are determined using the same criteria under international law, the
Three Nautical Aile -ine is generally the same as the seaward boundaries of the coastal
states of the 4nited &tates under the &ubmerged -ands )ct. There are e!cetions$
therefore, the Three Nautical Aile -ine does not necessarily deict the seaward
boundaries of states under the &ubmerged -ands )ct.
2atural Resources Boundary
The nine (6) nautical mile Natural Cesources Boundary is the seaward limit of the
submerged lands of .uerto Cico, Te!as and the 5ulf coast of <lorida. 't coincides with
the inner limit of the outer continental shelf under the @uter 3ontinental &helf -ands )ct.
Continental Shelf
Gach coastal &tate has a continental shelf that is comrised of the seabed and subsoil of
the submarine areas that e!tend beyond its territorial sea throughout the natural
rolongation of its land territory to the outer edge of the continental margin, or to a
distance of #;; nm from its baselines where the outer edge of the continental margin does
not e!tend u to that distance (or out to a maritime boundary with another coastal &tate).
+herever the outer edge of a coastal &tate0s continental margin e!tends beyond #;; nm
from its baselines, it may establish the outer limit of its continental shelf in accordance
with )rticle 78 of the 4N 3onvention on the -aw of the &ea. The ortion of a coastal
&tate0s continental shelf that lies beyond the #;; nm limit is often called the e!tended
continental shelf.
) coastal &tate has sovereign rights and e!clusive >urisdiction over its continental shelf
for the urose of e!loring it and e!loiting its natural resources. The natural resources
of the continental shelf consist of the mineral and other non-living resources of the
seabed and subsoil together with living organisms belonging to sedentary secies, that is
to say, organisms which, at the harvestable stage, either are immobile on or under the
seabed or are unable to move e!cet in constant hysical contact with the seabed or
subsoil.
The 4.&. has claimed a continental shelf that e!tends out at least #;; nm (.residential
.roclamation No. #887 of &etember #*, "6%= and .residential .roclamation No. =;1; of
Aarch ";, "6*1). &ince #;;", the 4.&. has been engaged in gathering and analyzing data
to determine the outer limits of its e!tended continental shelf.
/igh &eas
The high seas are comrised of all arts of the sea that are not included in the e!clusive
economic zone, in the territorial sea or in the internal waters of a &tate, or in the
archielagic waters of an archielagic &tate.
+aters <orming 'nternational &traits
'nternational straits are those areas of overlaing "# nautical mile territorial seas that
connect one area of the high seas or GGD to another area of the high seas or GGD and are
used for international navigation. .art ''' of the -aw of the &ea 3onvention (articles 1%-
%=) describes the regime for transit assage through such straits as well as the rights and
>urisdiction of the &tates bordering it. Transit assage is the right of a shi or aircraft to
transit, ass or navigate through an international strait in a continuous and e!editious
manner. -@&3 arts. 17, 1*. &his in transit assage must comly with the duties set forth
in -@&3 article 16, which include roceeding without delay and refraining from any
activities other than those incident to their normal modes of continuous and e!editious
transit. &his in transit assage may not carry out any research or survey activities
without the rior authorization of the &tates bordering the strait. -@&3 art. %;. &tates
bordering international straits may designate sea lanes and rescribe traffic searation
schemes for navigation where necessary to romote safe assage of shis. -@&3 art. %".
They may also adot laws and regulations relating to transit assage in resect of certain
activities, such as fishing. -@&3 art. %#. The transit assage regime does not otherwise
affect the legal status of the waters forming an international strait, or the e!ercise of
sovereignty or >urisdiction by the bordering &tates over the waters, air sace, seabed and
subsoil of the strait. -@&3 art. 1%
)rea
The )rea is comrised of the seabed and subsoil beyond the limits of national
>urisdiction. 't does not include suerad>acent waters (i.e., the water column) or the air
sace above those waters. The )rea and its resources are the common heritage of
mankind, and no &tate may claim or e!ercise sovereignty or sovereign rights over any
art of the )rea or its resources. -@&3. arts. "("), "1=-"17.