Federal Law No. 187-FZ of 1995 on the continental shelf of the Russian Federation.

The continental shelf of the Russian Federation includes the seabed and subsoil layers of submarine areas laying beyond the boundaries of the territorial sea of the Russian Federation throughout the length of the natural extension of its terrestrial territory to the external limits of the submarine border of the continent. The definition of the continental shelf also applies to all islands. The external limits of the continental shelf are fixed at a distance of 200 nautical miles from the starting lines from which the breadth of the territorial sea is measured, provided that the external limits of the submarine border of the continent do not extend beyond 200 nautical miles. The mineral and animate resources of the continental shelf are within the management of the Russian Federation while the exploration and industrial exploitation of such resources and protection thereof are within the competence of the Government of the Russian Federation. This Law establishes that the licenses for fishing and harvest of marine biodiversity on the continental shelf are issued by the Russian Federal Agencies to foreign fishing vessels for the period of one calendar year. This Law consists of VIII chapters that comprise 49 articles. Chapter I deals with general provisions of this Law. Chapter II deals with study, exploitation and development of mineral resources. Chapter III deals with the study and utilization of animate resources. Chapter IV deals with the erection of atificial structures and laying of submarine cables and pipelines on continental shelf. Chapter V covers marine research. Chapter VI deals with the protection and preservation of mineral and animate resources, burial of waste and other materials. Chapter VII deals with specific economic relations in the use of the continental shelf. Chapter VIII provides for the fulfillment of the provisions of this Law. In accordance with this Federal Law the Government of the Russian Federation is compelled to adopt normative legal enactments required for the implementation of this Federal Law.