内容摘要：日本提交了200海里以外大陆架划界案，并以冲之鸟礁为基点主张专属经济区和200海里以外大陆架。部分国家和国际社会质疑日本此举合法性，认为冲之鸟礁属《公约》121条第3款定义的岩礁，不应拥有专属经济区和大陆架，不应主张200海里以外大陆架。冲之鸟礁的案例引起国际社会对有关岛礁划定200海里以外大陆架的权利基础问题的关注和讨论。目前已提交的 51个划界案中涉及多个利用无居民岛礁主张大陆架的案例，除冲之鸟礁以外，还包括澳大利亚的毕晓普和克莱克岛、麦克唐纳群岛，新西兰的邦蒂群岛，所罗门群岛的法图塔卡岛以及塞舌尔的鸟岛等。对比6组岛礁的自然状况和开发情况，可发现，前5组岛礁无论是在规模，还是在维持人类生活或其自身经济活动的自然条件，或者是开发利用历史和现状都远远比冲之鸟礁优越，前者的岛屿地位能得到世界各国和国际社会的认可是情理之中的，相反，冲之鸟礁则不应具有岛屿地位。
关键词：冲之鸟礁 大陆架 划界案 无居民岛礁
Should Okinotori Shima be entitled to have continental shelf?
A Comparative study on the delimitation of continental shelf of uninhabited islands
Qiu Jun Liu Wenhua
Japan submitted a claim to the Commission on the Limit of the Continental Shelf (CLCS) to entitle Okinotori Shima to have an continental shelf with a prolongation of 500 nautical miles measured from measured from the island. Both China and Korea presented notes to CLCS and challenged the Japanese claim. They stated that the Okinotori Shima should be considered as a rock under Article121 (3) of the UNCLOS. It should not have any exclusive economic zone or continental shelf, and it should not be entitled to any continental shelf beyond 200 nm. This case has attracted international attention on the discussion of the determination of the outer limit of continental shelf of uninhabited islands.
Till now, CLCS has received 51 submissions claiming the rights of some uninhabited islands to continental shelf extending to or beyond 200 nm. Besides Okinotori Shima, there are five archipelagos, namely, Bishop and Clerk Islets and McDonald Islands of Australia, Bounty Islands of New Zealand, Fatutaka Island of the Solomon Islands, and the Birds Island of Seychelles. Entitling continental shelf to the other islands, except Okinotori Shima, has been approved in internationally and also universally by the coastal counties. Comparing with Okinotori Shima, other islands have more favorable natural conditions of sustaining human habitation or economic life; ever more, some of them have been developed for a long period of time, and some of them have been created as protected area of wildlife. Therefore, it is logical and reasonable to define them as islands under Article121. On the other hand, it is logical and reasonable to take Okinotori Shima as rock under Article121 (3), because of its barrenness and extremely small size of less than 10 square meters.
Rockall that lies near England and Ireland is a big and uninhabited rock. It is generally considered according to common sense as a rock under Article121 (3) and is not entitled EEZ or continental shelf. With respect to the conditions of sustaining human habitation or economic life, Rockall is obviously more advantageous than Okinotori Shima to be an island if it was. Since Rockall is considered as a rock without continental shelf, Okinotori Shima should also be considered as a rock without continental shelf.
[*] 国家海洋局海洋发展战略研究所 副研究员
[†] 中国科学院地理科学与资源研究所 陆地水循环及地表过程重点实验室 博士