Question map
Which one of the following is not an exclusive right of the concerned coastal nations over Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ)?
Explanation
Under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) grants coastal states specific sovereign rights and jurisdiction, but these are not absolute or exclusive for all activities. Coastal nations have exclusive rights for the exploration, exploitation, conservation, and management of natural resources, whether living (like fisheries) or non-living (like minerals and energy from water/wind) [1]. However, the EEZ is also a zone where international freedoms are preserved. Article 58 of UNCLOS specifies that in the EEZ, all states—whether coastal or land-locked—enjoy the freedoms of navigation, overflight, and the laying of submarine cables and pipelines [1]. Therefore, while the coastal state manages the resources, it does not have an exclusive right to restrict navigation or the laying of cables by other nations, making option 4 the correct answer.
Sources
- [1] https://www.un.org/depts/los/convention_agreements/texts/unclos/part5.htm