314 • Marine Minerals: Exploring Our New Ocean Frontier 



3 . A Special Prospecting License is granted if the 

 project requires substantial investment and spe- 

 cial technology. The maximum permit area is 

 10,000 rai, but there is no limit on the number 

 of permits for which one may apply. Permits are 

 valid for 3 years, and may be renewed for no 

 more than 2 years. A certain amount of activity 

 is required.^' 

 • Exploitation: Mining leases and concessions are is- 

 sued by the Minister of Energy. An application 

 must be made in a prescribed form and certain fees 

 are required. The maximum mining area is 50,000 

 rai.'" A prospector is entitled to a concession upon 

 making a mineral discovery and showing financial 

 ability. Royalty rates are fixed by the government 

 and may vary by mineral and area. An annual rent 

 may also be required. Concessions are for a 75-year 

 term. 



Conditions 



Environmental considerations are minor. The coun- 

 try does not have comprehensive environmental legis- 

 lation. '' 



Activities 



Tin is the main mineral being extracted from the Gulf 

 of Thailand and the Andaman Sea; activity has taken 

 place since 1907. In 1976, onshore production was 

 20,000 tons while offshore was about 8,300. By 1980, 

 onshore had only risen to 22,200 tons whUe offshore had 

 jumped to 23,700." 



United Kingdom 



Laws 



• A bill to extend the territorial sea from 3 to 1 2 mUes 

 has recently been passed.'^ 



• The United Kingdom claimed its continental shelf 

 in 1964.'* 



• The United Kingdom has not declared an EEZ. 



Jurisdiction 



• Territorial waters: Proprietary rights to the bed of 

 the Territorial Sea form a part of the Crown Es- 



"Ibid. 



"Ibid. 



''D. Johnston, Ocean Studies Programme, Dalhousie University, Halifax, 

 Canada, personal communication to OTA, Aug. 15, 1986. 



'^C-U. Ruangsuvan, op. cit. 



'^Letter from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office of the United King- 

 dom, London, England to OTA through R. L. Embleton, British Embassy, 

 May 15, 1987. 



"Law of the Sea Bulletin, 1983, op. cit. 



tate. Under the Crown Estate Act of 1961 the Crown 

 Estate Commissioners are charged with the man- 

 agement of the Estate which includes the rights to 

 license mineral extraction on the Territorial Seabed 

 but excluding oil, gas, and coal. 



• Continental shelf: Rights to mining of minerals 

 other than oU, gas, and coal on the continental shelf 

 are granted to the Crown by the Continental Shelf 

 Act, 1964. The Commissioners have the power to 

 grant prospecting and dredging licenses." 



Permit Process 



• Exploration: Since experience has shown that 

 prospecting usually does not conflict unacceptably 

 with other ocean uses, no formal government con- 

 sultation process is required to obtain a permit. 

 However, the Crown Estate Commissioners do in- 

 form the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and 

 Food (MAFF) before issuing a license and the 

 MAFF, after consultation with regional officials, 

 will notify the company of potential objections. 

 Bulk sampling requires separate authorization by 

 the Commissioners. The MAFF may propose 

 changes (e.g., in time, place or extraction method) 

 in order to protect fisheries.'^ 



• Exploitation: Applications to the Commissioners 

 are first sent to Hydraulics Research Limited to ad- 

 vise whether there is likely to be any adverse effect 

 on the adjacent coastline. Only if their advice is 

 favourable does the application proceed, and it is 

 then forwarded to the Minerals Division of the De- 

 partment of the Environment (DOE)" The DOE 

 oversees the "Government View" procedure which 

 includes consultation with other Government de- 

 partments and agencies dealing with coast protec- 

 tion, fisheries, navigation, oil and gas, and defense 

 interests. If any department has a substantive ob- 

 jection, it may discuss it informally with the com- 

 pany or with the Crown Estate Commissioners be- 

 fore reporting it to the Department of the 

 Environment.'' The Department ultimately makes 

 a recommendation to the Commissioners. 



Terms 



• Exploration: Licenses are issued for either 2 or 4 

 years and are not transferable. They permit use of 



"D. Pasho, "The United Kingdom Offshore Aggregate Industry: A Review 

 of Management Practices and Issues," Ministry of Energy, Mines and Re- 

 sources Canada. January, 1986, p. 17. 



'^Code of Practice for the Extraction of Marine Aggregates, December 1981, 

 p. 10. 



"D. Pasho, p. i9. 



'^Code of Practice, p. II. 



