GEMS has become the primary provider of EEZ surveys to countries wishing to extend their boundaries at sea.
Article 76 of the UN charter allows provision for the expansion of a country’s Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), which usually spans 200 miles out to sea. This option is conditional on the nation proving that its continental shelf extends further than the current acknowledged border.
The process involves determining the true end of the continental shelf with relation the depth of silt washed down from the currently acknowledged area. If this sediment is of a certain depth outside the country’s boundary then the EEZ may be extended to its limit.
UNCLOS surveys can help countries to significantly increase their income from exclusive trading rights. GEMS dedicated survey vessels eliminate the need for subcontracting and reduce the time needed to complete these investigations.
The United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, also called the Law of the Sea Convention or the Law of the Sea treaty, is the international agreement that resulted from the third United Nations Conference on the Law of the Sea, which took place between 1973 and 1982. UNCLOS, as a law of the sea came into operation and became effective from 16th November 1982.
