Environmental Jurisdiction in the Law of the Sea

This book assesses the environmental jurisdiction of coastal states over the seabed within and beyond 200 nautical miles from the baselines, thus mapping out coastal states’ competencies to regulate activities impacting the marine environment of the sea floor. In addition, it offers revealing insights into the domestic legal and policy framework of a particular State in this regard. As Brazil intends to exploit mineral resources farther away offshore, technologically backed by the recognised expertise of its state-owned oil company, Petrobras, questions arise as to the adequacy of the country’s domestic legal framework to sustainably manage the immenseness of the “Brazilian Blue Amazon”. This book critically evaluates the compatibility of Brazil’s national policies and legislation with the Law of the Sea, as well as the country’s legal and institutional preparedness to face the challenges of managing approximately 4,5 million km² of maritime spaces under national jurisdiction.