Semi Enclosed Seas

Proceedings of the International Meeting on UNEP's Regional Programmes in Mediterranean and Caribbean Seas, Genoa, Italy, 12-14 February 1992 which concentrated on three issues of particular interest: water quality, coastal zone management, sea-level rise and the risks and consequences of erosion and flooding.

The current jurisdictional status of the Mediterranean Sea is remarkable. Nearly 50 per cent of the Mediterranean waters are high seas and therefore beyond the jurisdiction of coastal States. This situation means that there are no points in the Mediterranean Sea where the coasts of two States would be more than 400 nautical miles apart. Such a legal situation generally prevents coastal States from adopting and enforcing their laws on the Mediterranean high seas, in respect of many important fields such as the protection and preservation of the marine environment, as well as the conservation of marine living resources. The jurisdictional landscape of the Adriatic Sea as a sub-sea and sub-region of the Mediterranean, is even more interesting. Croatia has proclaimed an Ecological and Fisheries Protection Zone, Slovenia has proclaimed a Zone of Ecological Protection, while Italy has adopted a framework law for the proclamation of its Zone of Ecological Protection without proclaiming its regime in the Adriatic. It is noteworthy that if all Mediterranean and Adriatic States would proclaim an Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), there would not be a single stretch of high seas left in the entire Mediterranean Sea. Both the Adriatic and Mediterranean fall in the category of enclosed or semi-enclosed seas regulated by Part IX of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). This book assesses the legal nature of Part IX of UNCLOS and discusses potential benefits of the extension of coastal State jurisdiction (proclamation of EEZs and/or similar sui generis zones), particularly in light of the recent calls towards an integrated and holistic approach to the management of different activities in the Mediterranean Sea. It examines the actual or potential extension of coastal State jurisdiction in the Adriatic Sea, against the background of similar extensions elsewhere in the Mediterranean and against the background of relevant EU policies. It additionally explores whether Part IX of UNCLOS imposes any duties of cooperation in relation to the extension of coastal State jurisdiction in enclosed or semi-enclosed seas, and puts forward practical suggestions as to how the issue of extension of coastal State jurisdiction could be approached in a way which would enhance States existing cooperation and improve the overall governance in the Mediterranean and Adriatic seas. This book will be of interest to policymakers and academics and students of international law, and the law of the sea.

Hydrodynamics of Semi-Enclosed Seas

This edited volume brings together distinguished scholars in an interdisciplinary discussion of the implementation of Article 123 of the LOSC in East Asia and Europe and offers insights for promoting maritime cooperation in semi-enclosed seas.

These collected essays reflect the development of the author’s views as well as the evolution of the law of the sea itself since the beginning of the Third United Nations Conference on the Law of the Sea.

The aim of the study is to assess the practice of littoral states towards cooperative management of maritime space, possible only through trans-border cooperation, and the utilisation of marine resources in semi-enclosed seas. The goals are to develop a theoretical framework, which explains the impact of conflict resolution as a means of managing the marine commons, and to analyse the various aspects of coastal and island states' ocean policies. Also included in this study is an evaluation of selected cases of dispute resolution over territorial claims and border discrepancies.

Some of the world's most important bodies of water, from the Black Sea to the Bay of Bengal, are classified as "semi-enclosed marine systems" (SEMS). Separated from the open seas by a strait, island archipelago, or physical process, SEMS are particularly vulnerable to environmental damage and particularly difficult to fully understand and manage. Watersheds, Bays, and Bounded Seas provides state-of-the-science information about these complex systems and identifies best management practices to preserve them. With contributions by natural and social scientists, the book examines both the political and biophysical forces affecting semi-enclosed marine systems. SEMS comprise a substantial portion of the coasts--areas with high population density--and we rely on them for often-competing services such as navigation and transport, disposal of waste, provision of food, extraction of minerals, and leisure. The book describes how human activities could irrevocably alter these fragile ecosystems, exploring threats from runoff to climate change. It also addresses the unique challenges of managing SEMS, including cooperation between multiple nations.