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Akticle 2 



1. The coastal State exercises over the continental shelf sovereign 

 rights for the purpose of exploring it and exploiting its natural 

 resources. 



2. The rights referred to in paragraph 1 of this article are exclusive 

 in the sense that if the coastal State does not explore the continental 

 shelf or exploit its natural resources, no one may undertake these ac- 

 tivities, or make a claim to the continental shelf, without the express 

 consent of the coastal State. 



3. The rights of the coastal State over the continental shelf do not 

 depend on occupation, effective or notional, or on any express proc- 

 lamation. 



4. The natural resources referred to in these articles consist of the 

 mineral and other non-living resources of the seabed and subsoil to- 

 gether with living organisms belonging to sedentary species, that is 

 to say, organisms which, at the harvestable stage, either are immobile 

 on or imder the seabed or are unable to move except in constant 

 physical contact with the seabed or the subsoil. 



Article 3 



The rights of the coastal State over the continental shelf do not 

 affect the legal status of the superjacent waters as high seas, or that 

 of the airspace above those waters. 



Article 4 



Subject to its right to take reasonable measures for the exploration 

 of the continental shelf and the exploitation of its natural resources, 

 the coastal State may not impede the laying or maintenance of sub- 

 marine cable or pipe lines on the continental shelf. 



Article 5 



1. The exploration of the continental shelf and the exploitation of 

 its natural resources must not result in any unjustifiable interference 

 with navigation, fishing or the conservation of the living resources of 

 the sea, nor result in any interference with fundamental oceano- 

 graphic or other scientific research carried out with the intention of 

 open publication. 



2. Subject to the provisions of paragraphs 1 and 6 of this article, the 

 coastal State is entitled to construct and maintain or operate on the 

 the continental shelf 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. 



3. The safety zones referred to in paragraph 2 of this article may 

 extend to a distance of 500 metres 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. 



