## Territorial Waters: Sovereignty at Sea [block_2] Territorial waters extend **12 nautical miles **(about 22 kilometers) from a country’s coastline. Within this zone, the coastal nation has **full sovereignty**, just as it does on its land territory. 1. This means the country controls everything: the water, the airspace above, and the seabed below. 2. For example, a country can regulate shipping, enforce laws, and exploit natural resources in its territorial waters. 3. However, foreign ships are allowed **innocent passage, **the right to pass through these waters as long as they don’t engage in activities like fishing or military exercises. ### Why Are Territorial Waters Important? [block_6] 1. Territorial waters are vital for protecting a nation’s coastline and regulating activities that affect its shores. 2. For instance, a country can monitor pollution from passing ships, prevent illegal fishing, or respond to security threats. [{"_key":"block_9","_type":"block","asset":null,"children":[{"_key":"8d84bc4c2586","_type":"span","markDefs":[],"marks":[],"text":"Imagine a fishing boat from a neighboring country enters territorial waters to catch fish. "}],"level":1,"listItem":"bullet","markDefs":[],"style":"normal"},{"_key":"1f78ad561423","_type":"block","asset":null,"children":[{"_key":"787c7fbfa48b","_type":"span","markDefs":[],"marks":[],"text":"The coastal nation has the legal authority to stop the boat, impose penalties, or confiscate its catch. "}],"level":1,"listItem":"bullet","markDefs":[],"style":"normal"},{"_key":"3f0f048373db","_type":"block","asset":null,"children":[{"_key":"bc4395554f25","_type":"span","markDefs":[],"marks":[],"text":"Without territorial waters, enforcing such rules would be impossible."}],"level":1,"listItem":"bullet","markDefs":[],"style":"normal"}] ## Exclusive Economic Zones (EEZs): Balancing Sovereignty and Resources [block_12] An Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) stretches **200 nautical miles **(approximately 370 kilometers) from a country’s coastline. Within this zone, the coastal nation has **sovereign rights **over economic resources, such as fish, oil, and gas. 1. Unlike territorial waters, an EEZ does **not **grant full sovereignty. 2. Other countries can **freely navigate**, conduct scientific research, or lay submarine cables, but they cannot exploit resources without permission. ### EEZs Are Essential for Managing Marine Resources [block_15] 1. EEZs are essential for managing marine resources. 2. Nearly 90% of the world’s known **offshore oil reserves **and 98% of major **fishing grounds **are within EEZs, making them economically and strategically significant. ![](https://cdn.sanity.io/images/w7j7fz60/production/a74ceff7fc146e6207d18ce079c177982a112c4e-8015x4372.png) [{"_key":"block_18","_type":"block","asset":null,"children":[{"_key":"42c82a5a5d04","_type":"span","markDefs":[],"marks":[],"text":"Consider the "},{"_key":"158861905b55","_type":"span","markDefs":[],"marks":["strong"],"text":"Arctic"},{"_key":"87cd1f052b80","_type":"span","markDefs":[],"marks":[],"text":", where melting sea ice is exposing untapped oil and gas reserves. "}],"level":1,"listItem":"bullet","markDefs":[],"style":"normal"},{"_key":"abc098ae9fce","_type":"block","asset":null,"children":[{"_key":"1347b58d8654","_type":"span","markDefs":[],"marks":[],"text":"Countries like "},{"_key":"e570f2db9e64","_type":"span","markDefs":[],"marks":["strong"],"text":"Russia "},{"_key":"46f1652510f5","_type":"span","markDefs":[],"marks":[],"text":"and "},{"_key":"00dcd980ef75","_type":"span","markDefs":[],"marks":["strong"],"text":"Canada"},{"_key":"168976d7ed6b","_type":"span","markDefs":[],"marks":[],"text":" are racing to extend their claims over the Arctic seabed to secure these resources. "}],"level":1,"listItem":"bullet","markDefs":[],"style":"normal"},{"_key":"fdbb7d435a35","_type":"block","asset":null,"children":[{"_key":"ed02ba4be352","_type":"span","markDefs":[],"marks":[],"text":"These claims often depend on whether certain underwater features fall within their EEZs."}],"level":1,"listItem":"bullet","markDefs":[],"style":"normal"}] [{"_key":"block_21","_type":"block","asset":null,"children":[{"_key":"9ba82b8524bf","_type":"span","markDefs":[],"marks":[],"text":"It’s easy to confuse territorial waters and EEZs. "}],"level":1,"listItem":"bullet","markDefs":[],"style":"normal"},{"_key":"ef08aa1732a8","_type":"block","asset":null,"children":[{"_key":"4c06521f21bd","_type":"span","markDefs":[],"marks":[],"text":"Remember: territorial waters grant full sovereignty, while EEZs grant limited rights focused on economic resources."}],"level":1,"listItem":"bullet","markDefs":[],"style":"normal"}] ## Conflicts Over Ocean Resources [block_22] 1. What happens when two countries’ EEZs overlap? 2. This is common in areas where coastlines are **close together**, such as the **South China Sea**. 3. In these cases, countries must negotiate boundaries, but disputes often arise. [{"_key":"block_26","_type":"block","asset":null,"children":[{"_key":"596c436a1f45","_type":"span","markDefs":[],"marks":[],"text":"In the South China Sea, several countries claim overlapping EEZs. "}],"level":1,"listItem":"bullet","markDefs":[],"style":"normal"},{"_key":"11a7e50143a8","_type":"block","asset":null,"children":[{"_key":"ff3272227519","_type":"span","markDefs":[],"marks":[],"text":"The region is rich in fish stocks and potential oil reserves, making it a "},{"_key":"efed2c3cc392","_type":"span","markDefs":[],"marks":["strong"],"text":"hotspot "},{"_key":"f572c6decfd3","_type":"span","markDefs":[],"marks":[],"text":"for conflict. "}],"level":1,"listItem":"bullet","markDefs":[],"style":"normal"},{"_key":"ef442749c94f","_type":"block","asset":null,"children":[{"_key":"197bebdc9bcb","_type":"span","markDefs":[],"marks":[],"text":"China’s construction of artificial islands to strengthen its claims has further escalated tensions."}],"level":1,"listItem":"bullet","markDefs":[],"style":"normal"}] ### Resource Extraction: Who Owns What? [block_27] 1. Disputes also emerge over shared resources. 2. Fish stocks, for example, often migrate across EEZ boundaries, leading to conflicts over fishing rights. 3. Similarly, oil and gas reserves that straddle two EEZs can spark disagreements over who has the right to extract them. [{"_key":"block_30","_type":"block","asset":null,"children":[{"_key":"ppV89SJLkRfuVxE3tz40yR","_type":"span","markDefs":[],"marks":[],"text":"Disputes over EEZs are often resolved through international arbitration, such as cases brought to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS)."}],"markDefs":[],"style":"normal"}] [{"_key":"38ef2c1c5637","_type":"block","asset":null,"children":[{"_key":"8d34553f5b14","_type":"span","markDefs":[],"marks":[],"text":"The Arctic"}],"markDefs":[],"style":"h3"},{"_key":"4490c1f0506f","_type":"block","asset":null,"children":[{"_key":"16be0052e3af","_type":"span","markDefs":[],"marks":[],"text":"The Arctic is a prime example of competing claims. "}],"level":1,"listItem":"number","markDefs":[],"style":"normal"},{"_key":"9825a80a4660","_type":"block","asset":null,"children":[{"_key":"618bd91ac287","_type":"span","markDefs":[],"marks":[],"text":"Unlike for Antarctica, there is no separate international treaty regulating the status of the Arctic. There is, however, the Arctic Council composed of eight Arctic countries (Canada, Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, Russia, Sweden, United States) fostering cooperation between these countries."}],"level":1,"listItem":"number","markDefs":[],"style":"normal"},{"_key":"fa0562c9c37c","_type":"block","asset":null,"children":[{"_key":"ab6e8e7513dc","_type":"span","markDefs":[],"marks":[],"text":"As sea ice recedes due to climate change, countries are rushing to stake their claims on the seabed, believed to hold up to "},{"_key":"ba0feb09bca4","_type":"span","markDefs":[],"marks":["strong"],"text":"90 billion barrels of oil "},{"_key":"64d9bfb0461d","_type":"span","markDefs":[],"marks":[],"text":"and vast natural gas reserves. "}],"level":1,"listItem":"number","markDefs":[],"style":"normal"},{"_key":"e5cd48315f88","_type":"block","asset":null,"children":[{"_key":"c80a99384f97","_type":"span","markDefs":[],"marks":[],"text":"The melting ice is also opening new shipping routes, such as the Northwest Passage, increasing the region’s strategic importance."}],"level":1,"listItem":"number","markDefs":[],"style":"normal"},{"_key":"d5e24d377e9b","_type":"image","alt":"Territorial claims in the Arctic. Source: https://www.economist.com","asset":{"_createdAt":"2025-03-02T14:44:04Z","_id":"image-763e604a9e5c23c0e7644bc0198180e436328cf4-1190x806-png","_key":"image-763e604a9e5c23c0e7644bc0198180e436328cf4-1190x806-png","_rev":"FugAMOUH7ZxCCW8PczGVYJ","_type":"sanity.imageAsset","_updatedAt":"2025-03-02T14:44:04Z","assetId":"763e604a9e5c23c0e7644bc0198180e436328cf4","extension":"png","metadata":{"_type":"sanity.imageMetadata","blurHash":"VOO|@Eb^~C-Cs?ySaJj1Nyr?yCV]idR%Sd$LjGo$Z~Sh","dimensions":{"_type":"sanity.imageDimensions","aspectRatio":1.4764267990074442,"height":806,"width":1190},"hasAlpha":false,"isOpaque":true,"lqip":"data:image/png;base64,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","palette":{"_type":"sanity.imagePalette","darkMuted":{"_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch","background":"#6f3629","foreground":"#fff","population":0,"title":"#fff"},"darkVibrant":{"_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch","background":"#a7513e","foreground":"#fff","population":0.64,"title":"#fff"},"dominant":{"_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch","background":"#accaca","foreground":"#000","population":3.98,"title":"#fff"},"lightMuted":{"_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch","background":"#accaca","foreground":"#000","population":3.98,"title":"#fff"},"lightVibrant":{"_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch","background":"#98e7bc","foreground":"#000","population":0.19,"title":"#000"},"muted":{"_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch","background":"#4c7d89","foreground":"#fff","population":1.49,"title":"#fff"},"vibrant":{"_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch","background":"#e19260","foreground":"#000","population":3.42,"title":"#fff"}}},"mimeType":"image/png","originalFilename":"TheArcticTerritorialClaims.png","path":"images/w7j7fz60/production/763e604a9e5c23c0e7644bc0198180e436328cf4-1190x806.png","sha1hash":"763e604a9e5c23c0e7644bc0198180e436328cf4","size":913024,"uploadId":"WAtWUYxnuSgyUjpSgYH9Q4C9ZvRjQAOx","url":"https://cdn.sanity.io/images/w7j7fz60/production/763e604a9e5c23c0e7644bc0198180e436328cf4-1190x806.png"}}] [{"_key":"block_34","_type":"block","asset":null,"children":[{"_key":"eff128615210","_type":"span","markDefs":[],"marks":[],"text":"How should nations balance economic interests with environmental concerns in the Arctic? "}],"level":1,"listItem":"bullet","markDefs":[],"style":"normal"},{"_key":"e946d760d4e2","_type":"block","asset":null,"children":[{"_key":"80680c2bf34a","_type":"span","markDefs":[],"marks":[],"text":"Should there be a treaty to protect the Arctic, similar to the one governing Antarctica?"}],"level":1,"listItem":"bullet","markDefs":[],"style":"normal"}] ## Managing Ocean Resources: Challenges and Solutions [block_35] ### Challenges [block_36] 1. **Overfishing**: Many fish stocks are overexploited, threatening marine biodiversity and coastal economies. 2. **Pollution**: Oil spills, plastic waste, and chemical runoff degrade marine ecosystems. 3. **Climate Change**: Rising sea temperatures and acidification harm coral reefs and other marine habitats. 4. **Enforcement**: Policing vast EEZs is difficult, especially in remote or poorly monitored areas. ### Solutions [block_42] 1. **Marine Protected Areas (MPAs)**: Designating zones where fishing and resource extraction are restricted helps conserve marine biodiversity. 2. **International Cooperation**: Agreements like UNCLOS provide a framework for resolving disputes and managing shared resources. 3. **Sustainable Practices**: Encouraging responsible fishing, renewable energy development, and pollution control can reduce environmental impacts. [{"_key":"block_48","_type":"block","asset":null,"children":[{"_key":"d38b4f1f4b2a","_type":"span","markDefs":[],"marks":[],"text":"Sustainable management of ocean resources is crucial for balancing economic development with environmental conservation. "}],"level":1,"listItem":"bullet","markDefs":[],"style":"normal"},{"_key":"e36f8822bc8e","_type":"block","asset":null,"children":[{"_key":"656713b2cfc2","_type":"span","markDefs":[],"marks":[],"text":"Without it, the oceans’ ability to support life—both human and marine—will be severely compromised."}],"level":1,"listItem":"bullet","markDefs":[],"style":"normal"}] ## Reflection and Broader Implications [block_49] 1. Why do disputes over EEZs tend to occur in resource-rich regions, such as the South China Sea or the Arctic? 2. How might climate change affect the boundaries and management of EEZs in the coming decades? 3. Should environmental protection take precedence over economic exploitation in ocean management?