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Date Published: 14/12/2022

ARCHIVED - Spain looks to the sea to expand its territory by 500,000 km2

ARCHIVED ARTICLE -

Scientists in Spain are appealing to the UN to reclaim 3 submerged continental shelves

<span style='color:#780948'>ARCHIVED</span> - Spain looks to the sea to expand its territory by 500,000 km2

The national territory of Spain is only the tip of the iceberg, at least as far as what can be currently be seen, and a team of top scientists is currently battling with the United Nations for the right to reclaim an enormous body of land from the sea, thus expanding the surface of the country by 500,000 square kilometres.

In order to convince the UN, the team must "scientifically and technically demonstrate that the submerged territory is a natural extension of the emerged territory,” technical engineer for the excavation project, Captain Luis Miguel Rioja, explained.

Since the 1980s the United Nations Convention on the Laws of the Sea has actually permitted coastal countries to claim a land extension into the ocean, although the regulations have shifted over the years.

Today, the submerged area can’t exceed 350 miles beyond the coastline or a hundred miles after the sea bed reaches a depth of 2,500 metres.

In the past two decades or so, Spain has submitted three files to expand its continental shelf, which would almost double the size of the country. Of the three proposals, only one has been resolved so far.

Situated north of Galicia, the so-called FISU measures 79,000 km2 and is actually shared between Spain, France, the United Kingdom and Ireland, who must all agree on how to divide up the territory.

In 2009, Spain presented another proposal for some 45,000-50,000 square kilometres to the northwest of Galicia but it took 10 years for the UN to summon the Spanish team to speak before its panel of experts.

Just last week, the UN pre-approved some 20,000 km2 of the total requested, including Mount Finisterre. The next discussion on this parcel of maritime land will be held in New York next February.

By far the largest claim is a 296,000 km2 area of continental platform off the Canary Islands, but neighbouring Morocco could thwart the government’s plans. In March 2020, Morocco published two laws that extend its maritime border towards Spain and the Sahara, and the territory desired by the Spanish encroaches into this area.

"The problem is that there is not enough continental shelf for each country,", so the international authorities will end up having the last word.

Morocco and Spain are still negotiating but both are anxious to protect their interests since the waters in question contain great mineral wealth. Studies indicate that the Monte Tropic area, located some 250 nautical miles from the Canary Islands and currently outside the Spanish EEZ, is the largest tellurium (a vital metal for the technology industry) natural reserve in the world.

Image: Pixabay

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