Declaration of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of 2 June 1974 on the areas contiguous to the Territorial Sea

Declaration by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of 2 June 1974 I. The State of Qatar shall have exclusive and absolute sovereign rights over natural and marine resources and fisheries in the areas contiguous to the territorial sea off the coasts of the State and its islands, without prejudice to the freedom of international sea and air navigation, in accordance with the established principles of international law. The outer limits of these areas shall be in accordance with bilateral agreements which have been, or shall be, concluded. In the absence of any particular agreement, the outer limits of the continental prolongation of the State of Qatar, or the median line in which every point is equidistant from the baseline from which the territorial sea of the State of Qatar and of other States concerned is measured, shall be regarded as the determining factor in accordance with the principles of international law. II. Within the territorial area specified in the preceding section, the State of Qatar shall have exclusive rights in regard to exploration, prospecting, exploitation, development, fishing and the establishment of installations and zones for the security, control and protection of all marine and natural resources on, under or above the seabed. III. No non-Qatar individuals or bodies corporate shall be entitled to engage in any fishing activities, to exploit marine or natural resources or to undertake research of any kind in the said area without the prior permission from the Government of the State of Qatar, in accordance with regulations to be laid down in this respect. IV. The establishment of any rights and the exercise of any of the jurisdictions specified in this Declaration shall not depend on effective or notional possession or on the issue of express declarations or proclamations. The responsible authorities within the Government shall delineate the outer limits of the areas referred to in this Declaration on the maritime charts of the State of Qatar.