Is it [this area](http://askaboutireland.ie/_internal/gxml!0/2ocqn930ubywvi8z0wl9dhefnm6z926$nh3h5o3m557b9ec4auqqpuref4xzb5a) or [this area](https://www.esa.int/var/esa/storage/images/esa_multimedia/images/2020/09/uk_and_ireland_s_exclusive_economic_zones/22224094-1-eng-GB/UK_and_Ireland_s_Exclusive_Economic_Zones_pillars.png)? Or is one the old one and the other the new one?
2 comments
Everyone wants Rockall, that’s why
Because it’s disputed. But ignore anyone who talks about Rockall because they’re clueless.
A state’s EEZ is 200 nautical miles off its coast. Which is image 1. No problems there. That is Ireland’s legally agreed EEZ.
Rockall is clearly in Scotland’s / UK’s EEZ as it’s closer to Scotland. However, it’s just a rock and what the UK can’t do is “pull a china”. I.e. extend 200 miles from Rockall as if it’s an island of the UK like China does in the South China Sea. There was a time that might have happened but it’s all resolved.
There’s another part to EEZ law though, the continental shelf. The non-dark blue seas on the map. Because if there’s accessible resources then you want to legalise access to them. That can extend beyond the 200 mile limit. Image two is what that would look like for Ireland.
There’s ongoing discussions between Denmark (faroe islands), Iceland, UK and Ireland about setting the exact borders.
On the first image, you see the “not so deep” part to the left of Rockall and unclaimed. Imagine all lines extending into that part of the sea.