Legal Definitions - exclusive economic zone

The Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) is a maritime area extending from the outer limit of a country's territorial sea up to 200 nautical miles (approximately 370 kilometers) from its coastline. Within its EEZ, a coastal nation has special sovereign rights for the purpose of exploring, exploiting, conserving, and managing all natural resources, whether living (like fish) or non-living (like oil and gas), of the seabed, subsoil, and the superjacent waters. This also includes rights to engage in other economic activities, such as the production of energy from water, currents, and winds, and to regulate scientific research and environmental protection within this zone. While other nations retain freedom of navigation and overflight in an EEZ, they must respect the coastal state's economic rights and jurisdiction.

• Example 1: Fisheries Management

  Imagine that the government of Norway establishes strict quotas for cod fishing within 200 nautical miles of its coast in the North Sea and requires all foreign fishing vessels to obtain a special permit and adhere to its specific regulations. Norway also invests in scientific research to monitor fish stocks in this area.

  This illustrates Norway exercising its sovereign rights over living resources (fish) within its EEZ. By setting quotas, requiring permits, and conducting research, Norway is managing and conserving the economic resource of its fisheries, which is a core purpose of an EEZ.

• Example 2: Offshore Energy Development

  A small island nation in the Caribbean, rich in consistent ocean currents, grants a license to an international energy consortium to construct and operate a large-scale tidal energy farm 100 nautical miles from its main island. This project aims to generate clean electricity for the nation and for export.

  This demonstrates the island nation utilizing its EEZ for economic purposes beyond traditional resource extraction. Developing tidal energy falls under the "other economic activities" and the right to exploit resources from water and currents within its designated zone, highlighting its exclusive authority over such projects.

• Example 3: Deep-Sea Mineral Exploration

  The government of New Zealand issues permits to a specialized mining corporation to conduct extensive exploratory surveys for polymetallic nodules (rich in manganese, nickel, copper, and cobalt) on the seabed 180 nautical miles off its eastern coast in the Pacific Ocean.

  This shows New Zealand asserting its economic rights over non-living resources (minerals) found on and beneath the seabed within its EEZ. By controlling access and granting permits for exploration, New Zealand is managing the potential economic exploitation of these valuable resources.