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NAVSTRAT-2030

Figure 1.2

Maritime Search and Rescue Region of Sri Lanka

The total area of the Continental Shelf (CS) occupies approximately 7% of the total area of the
oceans of the world, but their financial significance is expressively greater. Therefore, CS is of
national importance not only geographically, but also in the social, legal and financial arena. Sri
Lanka forwarded the submission to extend the CS beyond 200nm in accordance with Article 76
and Statement of Understanding under Annex II of the United Nations Convention on the Law of
the Sea (UNCLOS) in the year 2009. If Sri Lanka secures its claim, it would give Sri Lanka a sea
area nearly 24 times as large as the land area by 2025 which has sovereign rights for the purpose
of exploring CS and exploiting its natural resources. This delimited CS will provide the ability to
exploit rich natural resources and include mineral and other non-living resources of the seabed and
subsoil together with living organisms belonging to sedentary species. Main natural resources
include hydrocarbons, oil, gas and minerals such as placer minerals and poly-metallic nodules
(Manganese etc.) which will provide a large share of the future metal needs of the world. Sri
Lanka’s claim for CS forwarded to the Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf (CLCS)
is shown in Figure 1.3.

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