Table of Contents
- 1 How far do US waters extend?
- 2 What does the United Nation Law of the Sea Convention have to do with the exclusive economic zones?
- 3 What are the 3 maritime zones?
- 4 Who has agreed to the law of the sea?
- 5 Can a State explore the open seas?
- 6 What are the rights of a coastal State in territorial waters?
- 7 What does the US National Fisheries Reauthorization Act do?
- 8 Who is responsible for Marine Management in the United States?
- 9 Why are regional fishery management councils are important?
How far do US waters extend?
12 nautical miles
The territorial sea is a maritime zone over which the United States exercises sovereignty. Sovereignty extends to the airspace above and to the seabed below the territorial sea. The U.S. territorial sea extends 12 nautical miles from the baseline.
What does the United Nation Law of the Sea Convention have to do with the exclusive economic zones?
It defines the limits of territorial seas of countries from which they can explore and exploit marine resources. These are called Exclusive Economic Zones (EEZ) and they are known as an innovation introduced by UNCLOS. Within the EEZ, a coastal State enjoys sovereign rights over its natural resources.
What are the 3 maritime zones?
The maritime zones recognized under international law include internal waters, the territorial sea, the contiguous zone, the exclusive economic zone(EEZ), the continental shelf, the high seas and the Area.
How far offshore do state waters extend?
3 nautical miles
State waters extend from 0 to 3 nautical miles off the state’s coastline. (Note: In Texas, Puerto Rico, and on Florida’s Gulf Coast, state waters are from 0 to 9 nautical miles off the coastline). Federal waters extend from the state water boundary, out to 200 nautical miles off the coastline.
How far offshore Do states have jurisdiction?
NOTE 1: Three nautical miles is the jurisdictional limit for U.S. states and some territories under domestic law, with the exception of Texas, Florida’s west coast, and Puerto Rico, whose jurisdictions extend to 9 nautical miles offshore.
Who has agreed to the law of the sea?
The convention has been ratified by 168 parties, which includes 167 states (164 United Nations member states plus the UN Observer state Palestine, as well as the Cook Islands and Niue) and the European Union. An additional 14 UN member states have signed, but not ratified the convention.
Can a State explore the open seas?
The high seas shall be reserved for peaceful purposes. No State may validly purport to subject any part of the high seas to its sovereignty. Every State, whether coastal or land-locked, has the right to sail ships flying its flag on the high seas.
What are the rights of a coastal State in territorial waters?
The coastal state has the right to both prevent and punish infringement of fiscal, immigration, sanitary, and customs laws within its territory and territorial sea. Unlike the territorial sea, the contiguous zone only gives jurisdiction to a state on the ocean’s surface and floor.
What is law of the seas?
The law of the sea is a body of public international law governing the geographic jurisdictions of coastal States and the rights and duties among States in the use and conservation of the ocean environment and its natural resources. From: Encyclopedia of Ocean Sciences (Second Edition), 2001.
What do US laws relate to fisheries management?
We also work closely with three Interstate Marine Fisheries Commissions (Atlantic, Gulf, and Pacific States), who coordinate with NOAA Fisheries and states to collect data and manage fisheries resources in their shared coastal regions. What U.S. laws relate to fisheries management?
The Reauthorization Act directs the United States to strengthen international fisheries management organizations. It also directs the United States to address illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing and bycatch of protected living marine resources.
Who is responsible for Marine Management in the United States?
Under U.S. law, NOAA Fisheries is responsible for managing marine fisheries within the U.S. exclusive economic zone, the 4.4-million-square-mile zone that extends from 3 to 200 nautical miles off the coast of the United States. Individual states are generally responsible for fishery management from their coastline out to three miles.
Why are regional fishery management councils are important?
The ESA protects species that are at risk of extinction and also provides for the conservation of the ecosystems on which they depend. Regional fishery management councils must take both the MMPA and the ESA into consideration when developing fishery management plans. How do we manage fisheries?