From Times of Malta
A recent appeal by the President of the Republic for better and higher protection of our environment triggered my memory and spurred me to share publicly for the first time a proposal I had made, after months of meticulous research, to the Nationalist Party’s parliamentary group repeatedly since 2019 up until last year.
Sadly, it never made it to parliament for reasons that are not relevant to this article.
I believe it is high time that Malta declares, in accordance with maritime law, an ecological protection zone (EPZ).
Ecological protection zones are definite geographical areas beyond and adjacent to the territorial sea that shall not extend beyond 200 nautical miles from the baselines and in which the coastal state enjoys functional limited competences.
The coastal state that declares an EPZ unilaterally exercises jurisdiction to protect and preserve the marine environment but also employs other jurisdictional rights, say, with regard to marine scientific research.
Read more at Times of Malta
