Exclusive Economic Zone
Concept of Exclusive Economic Zone has been globally legitimised by the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) which defines EEZ as area beyond and adjacent to the territorial waters upto a maximum of 200 nautical miles from the baseline of the country. While territorial waters which extend upto 12 nautical miles from the baseline is under sovereign control of the country concerned and therefore also include the airspace above, in the EEZ, the coastal country has sovereign rights to explore, exploit, manage and conserve the region and natural resources therein.
The provisions of the international law on the sea (UNCLOS) has been statutorily recognised by The Territorial Waters, Continental Shelf, Exclusive Economic Zone and other Maritime Zones Act, 1976 in India.
