Which maritime zones define rights to resources such as fisheries and energy?

• A. Territorial seas alone define rights to resources; EEZs are irrelevant.
• B. Territorial seas and exclusive economic zones define rights to resources in maritime spaces.
• C. Only the continental shelf defines resource rights.
• D. All maritime resource rights are governed by a single global authority.

Answer: (B)

Rights to maritime resources come from specific zones defined by international law. In the territorial sea, the coastal state has sovereignty over resources in the water and on the seabed up to 12 nautical miles from the baseline. Beyond that, up to 200 nautical miles, lies the exclusive economic zone, where the coastal state has exclusive rights to explore and exploit natural resources—such as fisheries and energy resources—while other states may still navigate and overfly but cannot exploit those resources. This combination of territorial seas and EEZs is what determines who can access and manage those resources. The continental shelf is a separate zone that covers seabed resources beyond the territorial sea, but fisheries and energy rights in most practical terms are secured through the territorial sea and the EEZ. There is no single global authority governing all maritime resource rights; instead, governance is spread across UNCLOS frameworks and national laws.