8/10/2019 India-Pak Marine Boundary Dispute

1/2

What is the Dispute?

The actual dispute on where the boundary between India and Pakistan lies on Sir Creek, a 96-km

water body that empties out into the Arabian Sea from the Rann of Kutch, is not very major -

involving 100-150 sq. km. of a swamp that remains flooded through half the year.

UN Convention on the Laws of the Sea (UNCLOS),India and Pakistan can claim up to 350nautical miles (648 km) of exclusive economic zone out into the sea. But if they fail, theoretically

a third party could step in and make a claim.

UNCLOS defines the rights and responsibilities of nations in their use of the world's oceans,

establishing guidelines for businesses, the environment, and the management of marinenatural

resources.

An exclusive economic zone(EEZ) is a seazone prescribed by theUnited Nations Convention

on the Law of the Seaover which astatehas special rights over the exploration and use

ofmarineresources,including energy production from water and wind.[1]

It stretches from the

baseline out to 200nautical milesfrom its coast.

Tribunal verdict in 1968shows Pakistan getting only 10 per cent of its claim of 9,000 sq km of

this border area. The tribunal award relates to the area to the east of Sir Creek.

International law, 'Thalweg principle' :

o a thalweg(/tlv/)is the line of lowestelevationwithin avalleyorwatercourse

o The thalweg principleis the principle in which theboundarybetween two political states

separated by a watercourse is denoted as the thalweg of that watercourse, if those two

states have agreed to use the thalweg definition.

o Various states have also defined their watercourse international boundaries by a median

line, left bank, right bank, etc.

Economic reasons

Much of the region is rich in oil and gas below the sea bed, and control over the creek would have a

huge bearing on the energy potential of each nation. Also once the boundaries are defined it would help

in the determination of the maritime boundaries which are drawn as an extension of onshore reference

points. Maritime boundaries also help in determining the limits ofExclusive Economic Zones(EEZs)

Dispute resolution

Since 1969, there have been twelve rounds of talks between the two nations, without a breakthrough. The

twelfth round was completed in June 2012. Steps to resolve the dispute include:

1. Allocation

2. Delimitation3. Demarcation

4. Administration

Since neither side has conceded ground, India has proposed that the maritime boundary could be

demarcated first, as per the provisions of Technical Aspects of Law of Sea (TALOS).[3]

However, Pakistan

has staunchly refused the proposal on the grounds that the dispute should be resolved first. Pakistan has

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Natural_resourcehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Natural_resourcehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Natural_resourcehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Natural_resourcehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Nations_Convention_on_the_Law_of_the_Seahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Nations_Convention_on_the_Law_of_the_Seahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Nations_Convention_on_the_Law_of_the_Seahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Nations_Convention_on_the_Law_of_the_Seahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sovereign_statehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sovereign_statehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sovereign_statehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marine_(ocean)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marine_(ocean)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Natural_resourcehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Natural_resourcehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Natural_resourcehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Exclusive_Economic_Zone#cite_note-1http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Exclusive_Economic_Zone#cite_note-1http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Exclusive_Economic_Zone#cite_note-1http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nautical_milehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nautical_milehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nautical_milehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Help:IPA_for_Englishhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Help:IPA_for_Englishhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Help:IPA_for_English#Keyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Help:IPA_for_English#Keyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Help:IPA_for_English#Keyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Help:IPA_for_English#Keyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Help:IPA_for_English#Keyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Help:IPA_for_Englishhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Help:IPA_for_Englishhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elevationhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elevationhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elevationhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Valleyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Valleyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Valleyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Watercoursehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Watercoursehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Watercoursehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Borderhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Borderhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Borderhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Exclusive_Economic_Zoneshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Exclusive_Economic_Zoneshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Exclusive_Economic_Zoneshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sir_Creek#cite_note-hindu-3http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sir_Creek#cite_note-hindu-3http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sir_Creek#cite_note-hindu-3http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sir_Creek#cite_note-hindu-3http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Exclusive_Economic_Zoneshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Borderhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Watercoursehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Valleyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elevationhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Help:IPA_for_Englishhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Help:IPA_for_English#Keyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Help:IPA_for_English#Keyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Help:IPA_for_English#Keyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Help:IPA_for_English#Keyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Help:IPA_for_English#Keyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Help:IPA_for_English#Keyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Help:IPA_for_Englishhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Help:IPA_for_Englishhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nautical_milehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Exclusive_Economic_Zone#cite_note-1http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Natural_resourcehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marine_(ocean)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sovereign_statehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Nations_Convention_on_the_Law_of_the_Seahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Nations_Convention_on_the_Law_of_the_Seahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Natural_resourcehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Natural_resource

8/10/2019 India-Pak Marine Boundary Dispute

2/2

also proposed that the two sides go in for international arbitration, which India has flatly refused. India

maintains that all bilateral disputes should be resolved without the intervention of third-parties.

Preventive measures

The Indian government has undertaken acensusof fishermen in western Gujarat, preparing a database

of information on fishermen and their boats to be used for more effective monitoring of fishing activities in

Indian territorial waters alongside Pakistan and to prevent boats from straying into Pakistani waters.[3]

The

Indian Coast Guard has also begun installing tracking devices in fishing boats operating in the waters off

western Gujarat to maintain surveillance and to stop them from straying into Pakistani

waters.

[3]

Developed by theIndian Space Research Organisation,the tracking device has the ability tosend out alerts for fires on board, a sinking vessel, a medical emergency and when the boat is

apprehended by another country.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Censushttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Censushttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Censushttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/India%E2%80%93Pakistan_maritime_trespassing#cite_note-PD-3http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/India%E2%80%93Pakistan_maritime_trespassing#cite_note-PD-3http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/India%E2%80%93Pakistan_maritime_trespassing#cite_note-PD-3http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/India%E2%80%93Pakistan_maritime_trespassing#cite_note-PD-3http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/India%E2%80%93Pakistan_maritime_trespassing#cite_note-PD-3http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/India%E2%80%93Pakistan_maritime_trespassing#cite_note-PD-3http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indian_Space_Research_Organisationhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indian_Space_Research_Organisationhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indian_Space_Research_Organisationhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indian_Space_Research_Organisationhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/India%E2%80%93Pakistan_maritime_trespassing#cite_note-PD-3http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/India%E2%80%93Pakistan_maritime_trespassing#cite_note-PD-3http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Census