MARINE ENVIRONMENT PROTECTION IN THE EEZ

This article examines the challenges of protecting the marine environment within the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), the 200-nautical-mile zone where coastal states have sovereign rights over natural resources. It analyzes the legal framework for environmental protection within the EEZ as established by the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). The study identifies the major threats to the marine environment in the EEZ, including pollution from land-based sources, vessel-source pollution, and the environmental impacts of offshore resource exploration and exploitation. The research assesses the rights and responsibilities of coastal states to prevent, reduce, and control marine pollution within their EEZs. The paper argues that effective protection requires not only strong national legislation but also robust monitoring, surveillance, and enforcement capabilities, which are often lacking in developing countries. The analysis concludes by emphasizing the need for greater regional and international cooperation to address the transboundary nature of marine pollution.

The establishment of the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) under the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) granted coastal states extensive rights over a vast area of the ocean, but it also imposed significant responsibilities for the protection of the marine environment. This paper provides a detailed analysis of these responsibilities. The study begins by outlining the key provisions of UNCLOS related to marine environmental protection (Part XII), which create a comprehensive legal framework for addressing all sources of pollution. The core of the article is an examination of the specific challenges to implementing this framework within the EEZ. It analyzes the persistent and difficult problem of controlling land-based sources of pollution, which are the largest single contributor to the degradation of coastal waters. It also explores the legal and practical complexities of regulating vessel-source pollution, balancing the rights of navigation with the need to protect the marine environment. The paper further discusses the environmental risks associated with the growing industry of offshore oil and gas drilling. The findings suggest that for many coastal states, particularly developing ones, there is a significant gap between their legal obligations under UNCLOS and their actual capacity for monitoring, surveillance, and enforcement within their large EEZs. The paper concludes that bridging this capacity gap and fostering effective regional cooperation are the two most critical tasks for ensuring the health and sustainability of the world's coastal oceans.