Legal Definitions - high seas

The high seas refer to all parts of the ocean that are not included in the territorial waters or the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) of any country. Essentially, these are international waters that lie beyond the national jurisdiction of any single state.

Under the framework of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), the high seas officially begin 200 nautical miles (approximately 230 miles or 370 kilometers) from a nation's coastline. This vast expanse of ocean is considered a shared global commons, meaning no country can claim sovereignty over it. Instead, all nations have certain freedoms and responsibilities on the high seas, such as freedom of navigation, overflight, scientific research, and fishing, provided they respect international law.

Here are some examples illustrating the concept of the high seas:

• Scientific Research Expedition: Imagine a multi-national team of oceanographers embarking on a research vessel to study deep-sea hydrothermal vents located thousands of miles from the nearest landmass in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. Their mission involves deploying specialized equipment to collect samples and data from the ocean floor.

  This scenario takes place on the high seas because the research area is far beyond the 200-nautical-mile limit of any country's Exclusive Economic Zone. The scientists are free to conduct their research without needing permission from a specific nation, as long as they adhere to international regulations governing scientific exploration in these shared waters.

• Transcontinental Shipping Route: A large cargo ship, registered in Liberia, is transporting automobiles from a port in Japan to a destination in Germany. For much of its journey across the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans, the ship sails through areas that are not within the territorial waters or EEZ of any coastal nation.

  The extensive stretches of ocean where this vessel travels, beyond the 200-nautical-mile zones of any country, are considered the high seas. This allows the ship to navigate freely and efficiently between continents, exercising the fundamental right of freedom of navigation that is guaranteed to all vessels on these international waters.

• International Conservation Effort: An environmental advocacy group, composed of volunteers from various countries, operates a vessel in the remote Southern Ocean, thousands of miles south of Africa, to monitor and document illegal fishing activities by unregistered trawlers.

  The area of the Southern Ocean where the group is operating is part of the high seas because it lies well outside the national jurisdiction of any country. While the group itself has no governmental authority, their presence highlights that these waters are a shared global resource where international laws, such as those against unregulated fishing, apply to all nations, requiring collective responsibility for their protection.