Maritime Claims and Underwater Archaeology: When History Meets Politics

Among other circumstances relevant to maritime delimitations, some States have recently used the protection of underwater cultural heritage (UCH) as grounds for advancing jurisdictional or sovereignty claims over different maritime areas. After identifying the contours of current international law governing that heritage, this book critically addresses: first, the generally limited use of archaeological heritage in territorial claims; second, the broad acceptance by States of ‘archaeological maritime zones’ that overlap with declared contiguous zones; and, third, the (mis)use of UCH and underwater archaeology in three still disputed maritime claims, namely, Canada’s claim in Arctic waters, China’s in the South China Sea, and Russia’s in Crimea and its surrounding waters. Legal and ethical issues related to underwater archaeology are also discussed.

Regulating Vessel Discharges on the International and EU Level

This study analyzes the legal requirements concerning discharges from ships, a matter that is characterized by a considerable degree of complexity. This complexity results, inter alia, from the highly technical nature of the applicable norms, but also from the fact that the relevant rules and principles are prescribed in a wide and often overlapping variety of instruments on different levels of law, namely public international law, European Union law (where applicable) and domestic law. Taking into account that the individual legal instruments within these sub-systems of law significantly differ in their spatial and substantive scopes and regulatory approaches, a risk of conflicts of norms exists both from a vertical (i.e., between different levels of law) and horizontal (i.e., between different instruments on the same level of law) perspective. This situation gives rise to legal uncertainties, which may ultimately threaten the lawful and effective application and implementation of the relevant norms. This study attempts to clarify the existing uncertainties and to suggest harmonized interpretations and applications of the pertinent rules and principles. It does not address the issue of pollution from ships in general, but focuses on three specific categories of vessel discharges, namely scrubber washwater, sewage and ballast water.

The Regime of Islands Reframed:

The definition of islands represents a longstanding source of uncertainty under the international law of the sea, resulting in numerous disputes among coastal States. This is primarily due to the significant impacts the legal status of islands has on both their maritime entitlements and potential role in the delimitation of maritime boundaries. This study highlights the geographical diversity of islands and outlines the historical development of as well as progress towards the clarification of the legal definition of islands. The Award of the Arbitral Tribunal in the South China Sea case is examined in detail as it provides the first detailed international judicial examination and interpretation of the Regime of Islands. The definition of other types of insular features including low-tide elevations and artificial islands as well as submerged features are also addressed. Reactions to the interpretation of Article 121 by the Tribunal in the South China Sea case are explored before conclusions and considerations on the potential implications of these developments are offered.

International Law and Sea Level Rise

This issue contains the final version of the 2018 Report of the International Law Association (ILA) Committee on International Law and Sea Level Rise, as well as the related ILA Resolutions 5/2018 and 6/2018, both as adopted by the ILA at its 78th Biennial Conference, held in Sydney, Australia, 19–24 August 2018.In Part I of the Report, key information about the establishment of the Committee, its mandate and its work so far is presented. Also, the background for the establishment of the Committee is explained, drawing on: (a) conclusions of the ILA Committee on Baselines and the related ILA Resolution 1/2012; (b) scientific assessments, such as by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), regarding on-going sea level change and projections of future rise; and (c) more broadly, scientific findings regarding the profound changes taking place in the Earth system since the mid-20th century and predictions for their acceleration in the course of the 21st century. All of this has prompted the need, and provided the Committee with the relevant context, for the study of the options and elaboration of proposals for the development of international law.Part II of the Report addresses key law of the sea issues through a study of possible impacts of sea level rise and their implications under international law regarding maritime limits lawfully determined by the coastal States, and the agreed or adjudicated maritime boundaries. This includes the study of the effects of sea level rise on the limits of maritime zones, and the analysis of the subsequently emerging State practice regarding the maintenance of their existing lawful maritime entitlements. The guiding consideration in developing the proposals and recommendations by the Committee for the interpretation and development of international law regarding the maritime limits and boundaries impacted by sea level rise has been the need to avoid uncertainty and, ultimately, facilitate orderly relations between States and contribute to the maintenance of international peace and security. A related ILA Resolution 5/2018 addresses maritime limits and boundaries impacted by sea level rise.Part III of the Report addresses international law provisions, principles and frameworks for the protection of persons displaced in the context of sea level rise. The notion of ‘human mobility’ is used as an umbrella term that refers to all relevant forms of the movement of persons and, in the context of this report, covers displacement (which is forced), migration (which is predominantly voluntary), planned relocation and evacuations (which both may be forced or voluntary). This part of the report takes the form of principles entitled the ‘Sydney Declaration of Principles on the Protection of Persons Displaced in the Context of Sea Level Rise’ with commentaries. Accordingly, ILA Resolution 6/2018, which also contains the Sydney Declaration of Principles, addresses the protection of persons displaced in the context of sea level rise and contains recommendations by the Committee to this effect.

Baselines under the International Law of the Sea

Between 2008–2018 the International Law Association (ILA) Committee on Baselines under the International Law of the Sea produced two reports on the normal baseline (2012) and straight and archipelagic baselines (2018). The Sofia Report (2012) is organised around the interpretation of Article 5 of the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (LOSC) concerning the normal baseline. Under the leadership of Committee Chair Judge Dolliver Nelson, the Committee was asked to identify the existing law on the normal baseline and to assess the need for further clarification or development of that law in light of substantial coastal change. The Report applies the rules of treaty interpretation, including an assessment of the ordinary meaning of the terms of the treaty and, because those leave the meaning ambiguous, the preparatory works of the normal baseline provision. The Report then turns to address the application of the existing law to changing coasts and concludes that the law on the normal baseline is inadequate to address problems of substantial territorial loss. The Sydney Report (2018) is organised around a common methodology in assessing Articles 7, 8, 10, 13, 14 and 47 of the LOSC concerning straight baselines, closing lines, and straight archipelagic baselines. Each analysis seeks to provide some background to the drafting of the Article, analysis of the text, assessment of state practice, relevant case law, and a summary of the commentary by publicists. The Report then moves to address certain cross-cutting or global issues that are relevant to a contemporary analysis of straight and archipelagic baselines, before reaching conclusions.

Combatting Eutrophication in the Baltic Sea: Legal Aspects of Sea-Based Engineering Measures

The main environmental problem of the Baltic Sea is that too many nutrients are being released to the sea (eutrophication). As many of the ‘easy’ measures to reduce the load from land-based sources have been put in place, increasing attention is given to measures to reduce the release of nutrients from the seabed sediments through the use of various technologies at sea, i.e. ‘sea-based’ measures.There is no specific legal framework available for sea-based measures, but a number of provisions set general obligations to protect and preserve the marine environment.The analysis indicates that neither the type of measure nor the geographical location of the activity is of decisive importance for the legal rights and obligations involved. Instead, the legality of any sea-based measure depends on the risks they present balanced against their benefits. There is considerable uncertainty on all these issues, and the matter is further complicated by the fact that both the risks and the benefits of the measures relate to their environmental impact.It is recommended that a regional risk-based framework is established for assessing when and how further research on sea-based technologies can be undertaken in the Baltic Sea.

Arctic Ocean Shipping

Arctic Ocean shipping is on the brink of becoming a critical legal, geopolitical and security issue as a result of the impacts of climate change and increased interest in the Arctic Ocean from States that traditionally did not operate within the region. The law of the sea throughunclosprovides the key legal framework for the regulation of Arctic Ocean shipping, supplemented and extended by relatedimoconventions and national laws and regulations. This framework has been relied upon by the two major North American Arctic States – Canada and the United States – to develop the legal regime for the Northwest Passage and the Bering Strait. There have been historic disagreements between Canada and the United States with respect to the Northwest Passage, and while not resolved they have to date been managed through legal and political responses. Other straits may become more strategically significant as a result of climate change, including Nares Strait between Canada and Greenland.eezand high seas Arctic Ocean navigation by foreign flagged vessels also needs to be anticipated. Multiple issues are raised with respect to maritime security and the adequacy of the existing legal regime, including how Canada and the United States will respond to interest being expressed in Arctic shipping by Asian States such as China.

Joint Development of Offshore Oil and Gas Resources in the Arctic Ocean Region and the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea

The Arctic Ocean region presents certain challenges to peaceful cooperation between states, particularly in the locations where ocean boundaries and ownership of the related resources are disputed. The establishment of Joint Development Zones (JDZs) for the development of offshore oil and gas resources in the Arctic Ocean can facilitate international cooperation over resource development where there are competing claims. These claims are generally based on continental shelf jurisdiction under the provisions of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). There are several alternative dispute resolution measures available underUNCLOS; however, a number of states have preferred to adopt aJDZas an interim measure to allow development. The significance ofJDZs for the Arctic Ocean region is that they can allow peaceful cooperation and development where the specific circumstances of Arctic claims make it difficult for the respective states to agree on the maritime boundary.