Guyana seeks extension of continental shelf

The Guyana government has laid claim to a wedge of the continental shelf off its coast. Trinidad, Barbados and Suriname has also laid claim to the area. Foreign Affairs Minister Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett made the disclosures on Wednesday, stating that Guyana has already consulted with these states on the claim.

She revealed that all submissions made to the commission by the individual countries with regards to the limit have overlapped.

“Guyana has made a submission containing all the relevant data with respect to Guyana’s claim to an extended continental shelf pursuant to Article 76 of the United Nations Convention of Law of the Sea,” the foreign affairs minister said.

According to the provision, the claim can be a maximum of 150 nautical miles from the 200 mile-outer limit of exclusive economic zone of coastal states.

A key objective for conducting the study was to ensure the commission of other expensive works, including seismic data gathering that cost billions of dollars, would not be an exercise in futility.

According to Rodrigues-Birkett, Guyana has acted in its interest and has ensured there are adequate legal grounds to protect its rights. She said that Guyana’s claim will be formally and orally presented to the commission at the next session in April 2012, but given the workload it may be some time before the claim is examined and recommendations made.

Last year, the Maritime Zones Act came into force.

Rodrigues-Birkett said the promulgation of that comprehensive and modern act constituted another key component of government’s strategy, which is aimed at ensuring Guyanese benefit from the resources in its maritime zones.

Guyana will, however, have exclusive jurisdiction over the resources under the seabed that would include any hydrocarbon or mineral deposits. The foreign affairs minister stated that Guyana’s submission of a claim to an extended continental shelf has been made without prejudice to any future delimitation of maritime boundaries with neighbouring states.

In fact, the convention and the guidelines of the commission preclude states from using the recommendations of the commission as basis for declaring or purporting to declare bilateral boundaries with states.

Between 2008 and 2010, Guyana entered into consultations with Barbados, Trinidad and Suriname with respect to the preparation of Guyana’s claim and so agreed that all four states would make their submissions without prejudice to eventual delimitation and without objections from others.