5 
“(b) If two or more States apply for licenses to engage in the exploration of 
the seabed and subsoil of ocean space or the exploitation of its natural resources 
in the same area or areas of ocean space, the licensing authority shall, to the 
greatest extent feasible and practicable, encourage cooperative or joint working 
relations between such States and be guided by the principle that ocean space 
shall be free for use by all States, without discrimination of any kind, on a basis 
of equality of opportunity. But, if it proves impractical for the license to be 
See the licensing authority shall determine which State shall receive the 
icense. 
“(c) A coastal State has a special interest in the conservation of the natural 
resources of the seabed and subsoil of ocean space adjacent to its territorial sea 
and continental shelf and this interest shall be taken into account by the licens- 
ing authority. 
“(d) A coastal State is entitled to take part on an equal footing in any system 
of research and regulation for purposes of conservation of the natural resources 
of the seabed and subsoil of ocean space in that area, even though its agencies 
or nationals do not engage in exploration there or exploitation of its natural 
resources. 
“(e) The exploration of the seabed and subsoil of ocean space and the ex- 
ploitation of its natural resources must not result in any unjustifiable interfer- 
ence with navigation, fishing, or the conservation of the living resources of the 
sea, nor result in any interference with fundamental oceanographic or other 
scientific research carried out with the intention of open publication. 
“(f) A State or international organization holding a license is obliged to 
undertake, in the area covered by such license, all appropriate measures for the 
protection of the living resources of the sea from harmful agents and shall 
pursue its activities so as to avoid the harmful contamination of the environment 
of such area. 
“5. Subject to the following provisions and any regulations prescribed by the 
licensing authority, a State or international organization holding a license is 
entitled to construct and maintain or operate on the seabed and subsoil of 
ocean space installations and other devices necessary for its exploration and the 
exploitation of its natural resources, and to establish safety zones around such 
installations and devices and to take in those zones measures necessary for 
their protection : 
“(a) The safety zones referred to in this paragraph may extend to a distance 
of 500 metres radius around the installations and other devices which have been 
erected, measured from each point of their outer edge. Ships of all nationalities 
must respect these safety zones. 
“(b) Such installations and devices do not possess the status of islands and 
have no territorial sea of their own. 
“(@) Due notice must be given of the construction of any such installations, 
and permanent means for giving warning of their presence must be maintained. 
Any installations which are abandoned or disused must be entirely removed. 
“(d) Neither the installations or devices, nor the safety zones around them. 
may be established where interference may be caused to the use of recognized 
sea lanes essential to international commerce and navigation. 
“6. To the greatest extent feasible and practicable, the licensing authority 
shall disseminate immediately and effectively information and data received 
by it from license owners regarding their activities in ocean space. ; 
“7 Tf a license owner has reason to believe that an activity or experiment 
planned by it or its nationals or non-governmental entities in the area covered by 
its license would cause potentially harmful interference with activities of other 
States in the peaceful exploration and exploitation of such area of ocean space, 
it shall undertake appropriate international consultations and obtain the con- 
sent of the licensing authority before proceeding with any such activity or ex- 
periment. Any interested State which has reason to believe that an activity or 
experiment planned by a license owner would cause potentially harmful inter- 
ference with activities in the peaceful exploration and exploitation of submarine 
areas of ocean space may request consultation concerning the activity or experi- 
ment and submit a request for consideration of its complaint to the licensing 
authority, which may order that the activity or experiment shall be suspended, 
modified, or prohibited. 
“8. All stations, installations, equipment, sea vehicles. machines, and capsules 
used by a license owner on the sea-bed or in the subsoil of ocean space, whether 
manned or unmanned, shall be open to representatives of the licensing authority 
87-49 0— 67 2 
