site by Eilis Quinn of The Barents Observer, the increase relates to Canada’s 2019 partial application, which claimed roughly 1.2 million square kilometers of Arctic Ocean seabed and subsoil.
“This addendum to that partial submission regarding the outer limits of the continental shelf in respect of the Arctic Ocean covers an additional area of continental shelf extending beyond the limits provided for in that partial submission, encompassing the entire length of the Central Arctic Plateau,” the Canadian government stated in a document filed with the United Nations Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf on December 19. The United UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) grants coastal governments a 200 nautical mile continental shelf claim, granting countries the right to exploit resources in their own seabeds and subsoils.
Deep seabed mining and fishing, as well as oil and gas exploration, might be among the operations. Since 2003, Canada has been collecting evidence to bolster its claims in the Arctic and Atlantic Oceans. However, UNCLOS enables states to expand their continental shelves provided they have scientific evidence that specific undersea geological or topographical features represent extensions of their continental shelves.
In March, the Arctic Council’s seven western members suspended their participation in protest of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, claiming that the conflict contradicted several of the forum’s core principles, such as sovereignty and territorial integrity based on international law. Canada, Finland, Iceland, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, and the United States said in June that they would begin limited council activity in regions where Russia was not present.
Global Affairs Canada did not respond quickly to a request for comment on Thursday about Canada’s new Arctic claims and exchanges with Russia during the process. However, in the addendum document, Canada claims to have held frequent talks with Russia, as well as Denmark and the United States, with whom Ottawa also has overlapping rights.
