Update (October 11, 2011)—Bahamas and Cuba sign Maritime Delimitation Agreement .
In other news of maritime boundary disputes and oil exploration, the governments of Cuba and The Bahamas have recommenced talks concerning the delimitation of the boundaries between the two countries:
The Bahamas and the Republic of Cuba officially resumed technical discussions on the delimitation of the maritime boundary between the two countries, Monday, September 6, 2010.
Already, two rounds of talks have been held; the first round of preliminary discussions, which established the framework for future meetings, was held in Nassau in 2005.
This was followed up by a technical meeting, which took place in Havana, Cuba on June 12, 2009, when the Bahamian delegation comprised of senior Bahamian officials with technical expertise in the area of law of the sea and maritime affairs, met with Cuban officials.
…
The resumption of discussions between The Bahamas and Cuba in order to delimit the maritime boundary between the countries, as required by the United Nations Convention on Law of the Sea, is a matter of priority,” the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said.
…
The Ministry explained that an agreed boundary is vital for the effective management of The Bahamas’ maritime resources and the protection and preservation of the marine environment.
Read more from The Bahamas Weekly, as well as in this 2009 press release from the Government of The Bahamas.
As mentioned previously on Green Antilles:
Determination on some of the new applications for oil exploration licenses potentially worth billions of dollars, remain tied to negotiations with neighboring countries — including Cuba — over maritime boundaries, The Nassau Guardian has learned.
…
[Dr. Paul Crevello, chief operating officer of BPC] said: “There is a faultline where the Cuban and North American plates have collided and this has created an undersea mountain range set in about 2,000 feet of deep water. On the Cuban side of Cay Sal Bank, oil companies are already operating and some 60,000 barrels of oil a day are being processed. That is creating a lot of revenue in Cuba and we believe that exciting potential exists for The Bahamas.”
However, in the wake of the Deepwater Horizon disaster in the Gulf of Mexico, the government in The Bahamas has put a temporary halt to oil exploration activity in Bahamian waters.
[Photo: NASA Goddard Photo and Video]
