From:	Wafflemeisters <evamarie@**********.NET>
Subject:	Re: Petrolias on the map
Date:	Wed, 20 May 1998 16:45:34 -0500

>
>
>
> Re: Petrolias on the map (Philippe Garneau , Tue 17:20)

> >> A question: can Dunkie have a prospecting claim on an island that doesn't
> >> exist yet?
> >>
> >
> >Perhaps. Can you own sub-aquatic real estate? If he has mining rights to
> >that part of the ocean floor, perhaps when it becomes an island it will
> >still be his.
> >
>
> A thing that occured to me about after my posts: won't something 301km west
> from the California coast be in international waters? Can someone own
> subaquatic real estate in the international waters? :-)


AFAIK, you CAN own internation undersea teritory, by "squaters
rights". Such a situation exists for oil platforms, whic can
concievably declare themselves nations if situated in international
waters.
Also, the ownership and even "autonomy" of uncharted islands in
international waters can go to the discover, if no nation has
"legitamte" claim. If you predict its apearance, you could claim to be
the discoverer, I suppose...
Loompanics sells a book about various "quasinational" territories
(mostly groups owning platforms and islands in international waters that
can'tget "official" recognition, but are not officially bound by another
nations laws), but I forgetthe title.

-Mongoose X