US Claims Huge Chunk of Seabed Amid Strategic Push for Resources - BNN Bloomberg
www.bnnbloomberg.ca
The US extended its claims on the ocean floor by an area twice the size of California, securing rights to potentially resource-rich seabeds at a time when Washington is ramping up efforts to safeguard supplies of minerals key to future technologies.
    • Skua@kbin.social
      111·
      11 months ago

      UNCLOS has rules defining where the continental shelf boundary can be considered to extend to, so it’s probably wherever that line is (with carveouts for where it meets Russia and Canada’s equivalent claims). This type of claim is only for the sea bed, not the water column, so it hasn’t been economically viable to exploit in the past. That might be changing with the increased importance of rare earth metals

  • nekandro@lemmy.ml
    3753·
    11 months ago

    China attempts to maintain their territorial claims in the South China Sea after the Philippines and Vietnam conduct island-building operations there in the early-00s: CHINA BAD!!!

    America expanding their territorial claims in the Pacific because they want more natural resources: Yeah, this is fine and reasonable and democratic.

    Canada, who gets no say in the matter because we’re entirely reliant on the US for trade and defence: fuck, eh?

    • can
      457·
      11 months ago

      China bad

      America bad

      Simple

    • Skua@kbin.social
      216·
      11 months ago

      One of these claims is compatible with UNCLOS, the other absolutely is not. The US pulls plenty of international dickery, including not ratifying UNCLOS, but this claim fits within that existing international law just fine

      • flambonksciousEnglish
        148·
        11 months ago

        Stick to the point, though. This is a dick move (increasing the territorial claims, that is - not pointing out whataboutism, that’s all good!)

          • Skua@kbin.social
            82·
            11 months ago

            It should be noted that claim is not the same as the better-known exclusive economic zone. The continental shelf thing is only for seabed resources, not stuff in the water column. But that’s all that the US is claiming, so it is indeed in line with UNCLOS

          • RubberElectrons@lemmy.world
            21·
            11 months ago

            I’d argue that expanding the zones a bit doesn’t incur costs other than updating some maps, as existing radar systems etc were already reaching into the newly claimed areas, undoubtedly.

            Am I worried about my country’s creeping reach, and have I suddenly realized there’s yet another way to slowly encroach on territory? Yes.

            E: why the downvotes?

      • nekandro@lemmy.ml
        68·
        11 months ago

        Literally the same bullshit getting pulled in the South China Sea.

        “This ocean is all MY ocean, because I said so”

        (oh oops there’s oil there teehee completely unrelated)