Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) in Dominica
Dominica claims an Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) extending 200 nautical miles from its baselines, in accordance with its Territorial Sea, Contiguous Zone, Exclusive Economic & Fishery Zones Act (August 1981). Within this zone, Dominica has sovereign rights to the exploration, exploitation, conservation and management of natural resources, living or non-living, of the waters, seabed, and subsoil.
The EEZ area attributed to Dominica is approximately 28,593 km². Some sources show overlapping or variant estimates, but that figure is often used in fisheries and marine planning contexts.
Under the EEZ regime, Dominica can regulate marine mining, fishing, seabed exploitation, and energy extraction (e.g. wind, wave) in that zone. Beyond its 12-nautical-mile territorial sea and 24-nautical-mile contiguous zone, the EEZ extends to the 200 nm limit unless otherwise delimited by maritime boundaries with neighboring states.
In 2023, Dominica announced plans for a new marine reserve that would cover about 3% of Dominica’s EEZ, expanding the total marine protected area footprint by about 70%, reinforcing the role of the EEZ in conservation strategy.
Thus, Dominica’s EEZ is a large maritime realm, vast compared to its land area, providing the legal and spatial foundation for marine sectors in fisheries, conservation, tourism, and ocean governance.
