By Ankit Panda
Japan will nationalize 280 islands within its exclusive economic zone, according to a senior official.
Japan announced plans on Wednesday to establish administrative state control over 280 uninhabited islands in its exclusive economic zone (EEZ). The South China Morning Post reports that Ichita Yamamoto, Japan’s minister for oceanic policies and territorial issues, said that Japan will register the remote islands as state property to enhance their management.” Yamamoto allegedly made no reference to maritime security or territorial integrity.
According to Bloomberg, “the islands are among about 500 that define the borders of Japan’s territorial waters according to a survey being conducted by the government.” All islands lay within Japan’s exclusive economic zone – a seazone which grants a state special rights over exploration and exploitation of marine resources, prescribed by the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.
Read the full story at The Diplomat