TITLE 2: NATURAL RESOURCES
DIVISION 1: MARITIME AND COASTAL RESOURCES
§ 1114. Declarations. (a) The legislature declares, on behalf of the people of the Northern Mariana Islands, that the sovereignty of the Commonwealth extends beyond its land area to its internal waters, archipelagic waters, and territorial sea, regardless of their depth or distance from the coast, as well as to their air space, seabed, and subsoil, and the resources contained therein. (b) The legislature declares, on behalf of the people of the Northern Mariana Islands, that the Commonwealth has sovereign rights in the exclusive economic zone for the purpose of exploring, exploiting, conserving, and managing the natural resources, whether living or nonliving, of the seabed, subsoil, and superadjacent waters of such zone, and with regard to other activities for the economic exploitation of the zone, such as the production of energy from the water, currents, and winds. The jurisdiction of the Commonwealth in the exclusive economic zone also extends to: (1) The establishment and use of artificial islands, installations, and structures, and of reasonable safety zones related thereto; (2) Marine scientific research; (3) Protection and preservation of the marine environment, including prevention of pollution from outside the zone which poses a threat or risk of harm to resources within the zone; and (4) All other rights which may appertain to the Commonwealth in such zone pursuant to the ICNT and other customary international law. (c) The legislature declares, on behalf of the people of the Northern Mariana Islands, that the Commonwealth will exercise in the contiguous zone the control necessary to: (1) Prevent infringement of Commonwealth customs, fiscal, or sanitary regulations within the territorial sea or the territory of the Commonwealth; and (2) Punish infringement of such regulations committed within the territorial sea or the territory of the Commonwealth. Source: PL 2-7, § 5; (c)(1) amended by PL 17-1 § 4 (March 22, 2010). Commission Comment: * PL 17-1 contained the following section regarding the effective date of the law: Section 12. Effective date. This Act shall take effect upon its approval by the Governor or becoming law without such approval and shall be retroactive to November 28, 2009 except as otherwise specifically provided herein.