The world’s oceans, tomorrow’s Economic Promised Land?

The Caracas or ‘Montego Bay’ Conference (1974-1982) which adopted the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) brought an end to these maritime conflicts by creating four zones: territorial waters out to 12 nautical miles, an adjacent zone of 12 additional nautical miles (4), an EEZ (200 nautical miles) for the exclusive use of a particular state, and a possible extension to 350 nautical miles. Thus were the world’s oceans, hitherto untamed and free, seized by various states. But how real is their claim to ownership? Lacking the means to intervene effectively against attempts to grab certain areas, are states not as helpless as Géronte in Molière’s Les Fourberies de Scapin? ‘Géronte: Go, Scapin! Go tell that Turk that I will send justice after him! / Scapin: What, justice on the high seas? You must be joking!’ (5)