Before we had many debates around the Northwestern Passage, then the Russians went in and claimed the Arctic Ocean sea bed as their own and planted a flag. (graphic from BBC)
Another area which has been under debate for a long time is the Caspian sea! See this map which shows the debates by the surrounding states. Its not just sturgeon but also oil which is the reason for the fights.
This map shows the potential for disputes as the war for resources underwater heats up. See how many countries overlap!
The UN Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf has poked a hornet's nest by asking countries to submit their claims. The submissions can be done on the basis of nice quiet diplomatic debates and civilised agreements such as this one between France, Ireland, Spain and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, or otherwise.
Now the British are claiming thousands of square miles of the sea floor around the Falkland Islands, Ascension Island and Rockall. (Check out the picture of Rockall!, very amusing, its just a poxy rock, but that allows the UK to claim a big chunk of the sea floor!) That has immediately made the Argentinians go up in smoke, remember they have had a spat with the UK before over these islands.
The Argentinians call them as the Malvinas and there is a very long history of competing claims and control by various countries. And while before it was nationalism and a desire for some sheep farming land, now the fact that the sea areas can have resources - specially oil - means that the issue is more serious now!
Be prepared for big furballs. Watch this space, I will be tracking this.
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