By Ivan Cairo
Caribbean Net News Suriname Correspondent
Email: ivan@caribbeannetnews.com
PARAMARIBO, Suriname: Suriname is set to conduct seismic research off-shore in connection with the final determination of its economic zone beyond the 200 nautical mile line. Meanwhile the governments of Guyana, Barbados, Trinidad and Tobago, Venezuela and France have been informed over the imminent activities, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs disclosed.
Due to concerns raised by Guyana about the location of these activities within the 200 nautical miles, the Venetiaan administration has informed the Guyanese government that the operation will take place within the maritime area that was awarded to Suriname in the September 17 ruling of a UN Arbitration Tribunal which determined the maritime boundary between Suriname and Guyana.
With regard to the research activities beyond the 200 nautical mile boundary, Guyana has indicated that it will only give permission on the condition that Suriname share all the collected data with the Guyanese side. In response, the Suriname government notified Georgetown that its consent is not necessary in this specific case.
“The seismic research is being conducted subject to rights as provided in Article 76 paragraph 10 of the UNCLOS and moreover Suriname has the right to unilaterally implement these activities because these of their nature these kind of activities have no detrimental impact on the maritime environment,” said the ministry.
The Suriname government, however, has suggested that, at the technical meetings scheduled for December, amongst other things delegations could discuss possible exchange of mutually collected relevant data. Both countries could also discuss a joint approach towards other issues regarding the maritime area beyond the 200 nautical miles.
Meanwhile Suriname is preparing a claim with the United Nations for extension of its continental plateau. Therefore, the Russian research vessel MS Kapinsky was hired to conduct seismic research to determine the possible expansion of the continental plateau beyond 200 nautical miles. The United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea gives countries bordering at sea the opportunity to claim extension of their exclusive maritime zone to a maximum of 350 nautical miles. Therefore these countries should follow certain procedures to establish and proof that their continental plateau reaches beyond 200 nautical miles.
According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, computer exercises have indicated, that Suriname’s continental plateau expands further than 200 nautical miles. The MS Kapinsky has conducted similar research activities for other countries. |
