"This book is about the Law of the Sea in the Caribbean and the contribution of that law to economic development in the region. The most important legal instrument for that discussion is undoubtedly the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea which entered into force on 16 November 1994, some twelve years after it was adopted in December 1982, and following more than nine years of negotiations, which began in 1973"--

In 1982 the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea was signed by a number of countries. For many smaller countries, such as the island states of the Caribbean, the significance of this major law reform movement became apparent in terms of expanded economic benefits, e.g., expanded fishery resources and offshore energy supplies. However, the responsibilities of expanded ocean jurisdiction also became apparent, as did the geopolitical controversies surrounding it. This new volume in the Lecture Notes on Coastal and Estuarine Studies presents the reader with the results and synthesis of a major study undertaken by the Ocean Studies Programme of Dalhousie University in the Eastern Caribbean on the New Law of the Sea with special attention to marine pollution, coastal zone management, international law, marine transportation, maritime boundary delineation and ocean development.

This book examines the concept and purpose of joint development agreements of offshore hydrocarbon deposits from the perspective of public international law and the law of the sea, taking into consideration and extensively reviewing State practice concerning seabed activities in disputed maritime areas and when hydrocarbon deposits extend across maritime boundaries. It distinguishes between agreements signed before and after the delimitation of maritime boundaries and analyzes the relevance of natural resources or unitization clauses included in maritime delimitation agreements. It also takes into consideration the relation between these resources and maritime delimitation and analyzes all the relevant international jurisprudence. Another innovative aspect of this book is that it examines the possibility of joint development of resources that lay between the continental shelf and the Area, considering both theoretical and practical problems. As such, the book is a useful tool for scholars and experts on public international law and the law of the sea, but also for national authorities and practitioners of international disputes resolution, as well as public and private entities working in the oil and gas industry.

International Law of the Sea and Marine Affairs

The United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea of 10 December 1982 entered into force on 16 November 1994. Since this date a single binding instrument has regulated the rights and duties of States at sea and regarding the sea. New concepts, such as the exclusive economic zone, archipelagic waters, transit passage through straits, and the International Seabed Area, are now fully recognized. The fifteen member States of the European Union are a significant sample for analyzing the practice of States, or at least that of the Western industrialized States, as regards the law of the sea. They include major and small maritime powers, coastal and land-locked States, States with coasts on the Atlantic Ocean and States with coasts on semi-enclosed seas such as the Baltic and the Mediterranean, States with and without involvement in deep seabed mining and States with different interests as regards fisheries. The fact that they all belong to the European Union is a very important common feature, which amply justifies the choice made to study them together. The book's aim is to give, through essays prepared by well-known specialists, a detailed survey of the attitudes and practice concerning the law of the sea of the member States of the European Union and of the European Community as such. The common positions of the member States and the results of their coordinated action also emerge from these essays. The fact that the member States and the European Community are now actively engaged in the process of becoming parties to the Law of the Sea Convention is certainly a major contribution to the consolidation of the Convention as a universal instrument, or at least as an instrument widely ratified by States of all continents and economic and political interests.

"Describes the basic rules governing the environment in the jurisdictions of the 15-member states of the Caribbean Community with a particular emphasis on those in the British Commonwealth. This one-of-a-kind coursebook explores relationships between the environment and traditional legal subjects, such as international and constitutional law, contracts, torts, and trusts; and undertakes a detailed examination of such specific topics as town and country planning, environmental impact assessments, pollution regulation, management of wastes, protection of endangered species and habitats, and coastal zone management. Justice Anderson provides a detailed analysis of the relationship between international trade and environmental protection. He also demonstrates how international law is the primary driver of domestic regulation and illustrates its influence on municipal law. This book reflects the policy aspirations of the Caribbean people toward the environment"--Page [4] of cover.