Benham Rise is claimed as the largest marine area of the country that remains relatively pristine. With the recent recognition of Benham Rise as part of the Philippines’ territory and extended continental shelf (ECS) granted by the United Nations Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf (UNCLCS) in 2012, interest in utilization of Benham rise increased.
Development of a sound sustainable management framework for Benham Rise would give the Philippines opportunities to develop its marine scientific research capabilities, provide an anchor for mobilizing offshore resources and management in the eastern seaboard of Luzon, and establish the basis of Philippine control and management of seabed exploration activities in the EEZ, continental shelf, and extended continental shelf.
The recognition of the Philippine jurisdiction over the Benham Rise Region is the Philippines’ first successful validation of a claim in accord with the 1982 Law of the Sea Convention (UNCLOS). It is the first major expansion of the Philippines’ maritime boundaries since the late 1970s when it declared its exclusive economic zone (EEZ). The waters above the ECS are considered as high seas.
With the UN decision, the Philippines’ continental shelf and territory increased from 30 million hectares to 43 million hectares.
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Benham Rise is claimed as the largest marine area of the country that remains relatively pristine. With the recent recognition of Benham Rise as part of the Philippines’ territory and extended continental shelf (ECS) granted by the United Nations Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf (UNCLCS) in 2012, interest in utilization of Benham rise increased.
Development of a sound sustainable management framework for Benham Rise would give the Philippines opportunities to develop its marine scientific research capabilities, provide an anchor for mobilizing offshore resources and management in the eastern seaboard of Luzon, and establish the basis of Philippine control and management of seabed exploration activities in the EEZ, continental shelf, and extended continental shelf.
The recognition of the Philippine jurisdiction over the Benham Rise Region is the Philippines’ first successful validation of a claim in accord with the 1982 Law of the Sea Convention (UNCLOS). It is the first major expansion of the Philippines’ maritime boundaries since the late 1970s when it declared its exclusive economic zone (EEZ). The waters above the ECS are considered as high seas.
With the UN decision, the Philippines’ continental shelf and territory increased from 30 million hectares to 43 million hectares.