Maritime Areas Act.

This Act defines the archipelagic waters, territorial sea, contiguous zone, continental shelf and internal waters of Jamaica. Jamaica is declared to be an archipelagic state (sect. 3). The sovereignty of Jamaica as an archipelagic state extends to: (a) the waters enclosed by archipelagic baselines regardless of depth or distance from the coast; and (b) the air space over those waters as well as their bed and subsoil and the resources, living and non-living, contained therein (sect. 4). The archipelagic baselines shall consist of straight baselines joining the outermost points of the outermost islands and drying reefs of Jamaica (sect. 6). Section 9 provides for innocent passage by vessels within designated archipelagic sea lanes. The territorial sea comprises an area within a line measured from the archipelagic baselines every point of which is twelve nautical miles from the nearest point of the baselines (sect. 12). Criminal jurisdiction of Jamaica extends to contravention of international or national rules or standards for the prevention, reduction or control of pollution from ships committed in the EEZ of Jamaica (sect. 14). Acts of foreign vessels in the archipelagic waters or the territorial sea specified in section 18, including any fishing activity, shall be considered to be prejudicial to peace, good order or security of Jamaica and may be subject to criminal proceedings. The Contiguous Zone comprise those areas beyond and adjacent the territorial sea having as its seaward limit a line every point of which is twenty-four nautical miles from the nearest point of the (archipelagic) baselines. The continental shelf of Jamaica comprises those areas of the seabed and subsoil of the submarine areas that are beyond and adjacent to the territorial sea throughout the natural prolongation of the land territory of Jamaica to the outer edge of the continental margin, or to a distance of 200 nautical miles from the nearest point of the (archipelagic) baselines where the outer edge of the continental margin does not extend to that distance. Rights of Jamaica over the continental shelf are laid down in section 22. Section 24 specifies powers of Marine Officers. The Minister may prescribe sea lanes (sect. 26) and regulate matters specified in section 28. (29 sections)