OPRF implements the project on "Research for Issues concerning the Extended Continental Shelf." We now focus our attention on the extended continental shelf (the ECS) and its natural resources towards the development and held the seminar on the theme. The seminar attracted 150 participants and was held under the chairmanship of Prof. Moritaka Hayashi (Waseda University /Special Research Fellow, OPRF).

The seminar was composed of two sessions. The presentation in the first session by Ms. Joanna Mossop overviewed the legal framework for the ECS towards exploring it and exploiting its resources, and provided some perspective for regulating its usage. She especially pointed out the following; (1) while a coastal state has sovereign rights to explore and exploit the resources of the ECS, the water above is governed by the freedoms of the high seas, which causes conflicts between the rights and freedoms of states. (2) it is significant how to balance between rights of a coastal state to regulate other states' activities such as mining, fisheries, scientific research and bioprospecting and the freedom the latter states have.

The second session considered the more practical and technical aspects of the development of natural resources in the case of Malaysia and Japan respectively.
Dr. Mazlan Madon provided the outline of geology and seabed resources in the South China Sea from a Malaysian perspective. He emphasized that the geological characteristics of the South China Sea and its potential seabed resources were closely related to its tectonic development and rifting history. He also pointed out that the difference in the tectonic histories between its northern passive margin and southern 'hybrid' collisional-passive margin gave rise to contrasting seabed geomorphologies and that seabed resources activities in the South China Sea were so far concentrated on the exploration for and exploitation of oil and gas.
Prof. Urabe gave the presentation on prospect towards the development of mineral resources on the Continental Shelf of Japan. He pointed out that various geological characteristics around Japan brought high resources potentials such as Ferromanganese Nodule, Cobalt-rich Ferro-manganese crust and Seafloor Massive sulfide. He put emphasis on the necessity to continue the efforts for monitoring, mapping, sampling and modeling of the ocean and its floor.

* This seminar was carried out by the OPRF's project "Research for Issues concerning the Extended Continental Shelf" under the patronage of The Nippon Foundation from the proceeds of motorboat racing.