Under the Sea

The seaweed is always greener
In somebody else's lake
You dream about going up there
But that is a big mistake
Just look at the world around you
Right here on the ocean floor
Such wonderful things surround you
What more is you lookin' for?

Under the sea, under the sea
Darling it's better down where it's wetter
Take it from me
Up on the shore they work all day
Out in the sun they slave away
While we're devoting full time to floating
Under the sea, ha ha...

The race is on to see who can reap the most wealth from under the world's oceans. Suddenly there is a scramble to lay claim to the ocean's bed. According to The Economist, the deadline for claiming your share of the ocean floor was May 13.

The rules for this carve-up derive from the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea. These gave all countries that had ratified the treaty before May 13th 1999 ten years in which to claim any extension of their continental shelf beyond the normal 200 nautical miles (370km).

(The United States is not a signatory to this treaty.)

In addition to the expected conflicts over Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Ocean claims, a new "cold" war may be in the making for the Arctic Ocean. In 2007, Russia planted a flag under the North Pole. Meanwhile, Canada is telling the rest of the world, Hands Off! "The message is simple: This isn't an unclaimed wasteland. It's active, it's a home - and it's ours."



Possibly conflicting claims in the Arctic Ocean.

Via Kelso’s Corner