Interpretation

In this Act, unless the context otherwise requires“baseline” means the baseline from which the breadth of the territorial sea is measured as described in section 4; “equidistance line”, as between Belize and an adjacent State, means a line every point of which is equidistant from the nearest point of the baseline of the territorial sea and the corresponding baseline of the adjacent State; “exclusive economic zone” means the exclusive economic zone of Belize as described in section 6 and, to the extent that section 7 applies, as delimited pursuant to section 7; “foreign State” means a State other than Belize; “foreign vessel” means a vessel that is not registered as a Belizean ship under the Registration of Merchant Ships Act; CAP. 236. “fringing reefs” means reefs attached directly to, or located in the immediate vicinity of, the coast or any costal lagoon; “internal waters” means the internal waters of Belize as described in section 5; 6 “island” means a naturally formed area of land surrounded by water which is above water at mean high-water spring tides; “low-tide elevation” means a naturally formed area of drying land surrounded by water which is below water at mean high- water spring tides; “maritime areas of Belize” means the internal waters, the territorial sea, and the exclusive economic zone; “master”, in relation to vessel, means the person for the time being having command or charge of the vessel; “Minister” means the Minister responsible for foreign affairs; “nautical mile” means the international nautical mile of 1852 metres; “resources” includes living and non-living resources; “territorial sea” means the territorial sea of Belize as described in Section 3; and “the Regulations” means regulations made under this Act.