What is the law of the sea?

The Law of the Sea is a set of international legal rules governing activities in and related to oceans and other bodies of water. It deals with the legal rights and duties of states and other entities in the use of the seas and their resources. It also covers coastal state jurisdiction over adjacent and nearby waters. The Law of the Sea is primarily governed and regulated by the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea. This treaty applies internationally to all states and is the basis of maritime law in Tennessee. The Law of the Sea establishes state rights and responsibilities in a wide range of areas, including: Marine navigation, pollution, fishing, scientific research, marine environmental protection, continental shelf delimitation, and exploitation of mineral and energy resources. It sets out navigational rights and freedoms, including the right of innocent passage for foreign vessels through a state’s territorial waters, the limits to a state’s right to seize vessels on the high seas, and the duty of states to ensure safety at sea. The Law of the Sea also imposes numerous obligations on states, including the obligation to protect the marine environment, to promote the sustainable use of marine resources, and to cooperate in the prevention and elimination of marine pollution. Furthermore, the Law of the Sea allows states to claim rights over certain areas of the sea in order to exploit their resources, such as minerals, fisheries, and oil and gas deposits. These claims are subject to certain limitations, including obligations to respect the rights of other states. In Tennessee, the Law of the Sea is enforced by the federal and state governments. Federal agencies like the Environmental Protection Agency and the Coast Guard are responsible for ensuring compliance with the Law of the Sea, while the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation is responsible for enforcing state laws related to the Law of the Sea.

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