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Canada PM launches a tour to assert Arctic sovereignty
(China Daily)
Updated: 2009-08-20 11:51 Scramble for resources The US Geological Survey estimated last year that the Arctic holds 90 billion barrels of oil -- enough to supply current global demand for three years. International interest in the Arctic has intensified in recent years as polar countries lay claim to seabed resource rights made accessible by waterways -- earlier choked with ice almost year-round -- thawing due to global warming. While the land division in the Arctic region is relatively clear, there are overlapping claims to the seabed. The United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea stipulates that any coastal state can claim undersea territory 200 nautical miles from their shoreline and exploit the natural resources within that zone. Nations can also extend that limit to up to 350 nautical miles from their coast if they can provide scientific proof that the undersea continental plate is a natural extension of their territory. Canada has deemed the crucial Northwest Passage, the sea route between the Atlantic to the Pacific through the country's Arctic archipelago, as its internal territory, while the United States and other countries have insisted on taking it as an international waterway. Canada also has disputes with Denmark over the tiny Hans Island but the two countries have recently been strengthening cooperation. Some Canadian experts have pointed out their country does not have the resources to protect its vast Arctic territory full time and is actually lagging behind other countries. But they applauded the government actions, viewing Harper's visit as a signal to other countries that Canada is serious about its claims to its Arctic territory. "All this of course, is not just flag-waving, but to show Canadians and the world that Canada is an Arctic country," said Rosemary Thompson, a veteran political analyst. Reuters - Xinhua
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