Knowledge Nugget International Maritime Laws: An Overview of UNCLOS, SOLAS, and MARPOL

On March 4, the Iranian cruiser IRIS Dena was torpedoed by a US submarine outside Sri Lanka's territorial limits. The ship was returning from its participation in MILAN-2026, a multilateral naval exercise organized by the Indian Navy, and the International Fleet Review. Understanding important maritime laws and agreements becomes crucial in this situation.In order to support the preservation and sustainable use of marine ecosystems, a number of international treaties and conventions have been developed to regulate maritime zones and prevent and control marine pollution.1. UNCLOS is an all-encompassing international law that establishes the general guidelines for acceptable conduct on the usage of seas and oceans worldwide. In addition to addressing topics like sovereignty, passage rights, and rights of exclusive economic usage, it outlines the obligations and rights of nations with regard to operations in the oceans.

UNCLOS is responsible for the demarcation of EEZs and territorial waters. 2. According to UNCLOS, the territorial sea (TS) is a region that extends up to 12 nautical miles from the base of a nation's shore.  Over the waters included in the TS, a state has complete sovereignty.3. A nation's Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) is defined by the UNCLOS as extending from the baseline of its coast to 200 nautical miles (about 370 kilometers) into the sea. Within its EEZ, a country has exclusive rights to both living and non-living resources in the oceans and on the seafloor.4. The general guidelines for fair access to and use of ocean resources, as well as the preservation and conservation of marine ecology and biodiversity, are established by UNCLOS. However, it doesn't outline how these goals must be met. The High Seas Treaty is relevant in this situation.