rangement of Provisions

1. Short title and
commencement
2. Principal Act
3. Interpretation
4. Low-water mark, official charts
and publicity
5. Suspension of innocent passage
6. The contiguous zone
7. Continental Shelf
8. Regulations


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2015, No. 6

AN ACT to amend the Maritime Zones Act 1999.
[2nd
February 2015]

BE IT ENACTED by the Legislative Assembly of Samoa in
Parliament assembled as follows:

1. Short title and commencement-(1) This Act may be cited as
the Maritime Zones Amendment Act 2015.
(2) This Act commences on the date it is assented to by the Head
of State.

2. Principal Act - In this Act, “Principal Act” means the Maritime
Zones Act 1999.

3. Interpretation - In section 2(1) of the Principal Act, for the
definition of:
(a) “high-water mark” substitute:
2 Maritime Zones Amendment 2015, No. 6

““high-water mark” means the line of mean high water and
“high tide” shall have the corresponding meaning;”; and

(b) low water line; and
(c) “low-water mark” substitute:
““low-water mark” means the lowest astronomical tide and
“low-water line” shall have the corresponding meaning;”.
4. Low-water mark, official charts and publicity-(1) Section
10(1) of the Principal Act is repealed.
(2) Section 10 of the Principal Act is amended by:
(a) substituting the words “zone and exclusive economic
zones” with “zone, exclusive economic zone and
continental shelf” in subsection (3); and
(b) substituting the words “sea and exclusive economic zone”
with “sea, contiguous zone, exclusive economic zone
and continental shelf”.
5. Suspension of innocent passage - In section 13 of the Principal
Act, for the words “order and good government” substitute “good
order and security”.
6. The contiguous zone - For section 18 of the Principal Act
substitute:

“18. The contiguous zone-(1) The contiguous zone of Samoa
comprises those areas of the sea that are beyond and adjacent to the
territorial sea, having as their outer limits a line measured seaward
from the outer limits of the territorial sea described in section 4,
every point of which is distant 24 nautical miles from the nearest
point of the baseline.
(2) Within the contiguous zone, the Government of Samoa may
exercise any powers and take any measures necessary to:
(a) prevent infringement of its customs, fiscal, immigration
or sanitary laws and regulations within Samoa or
the territorial sea; and
(b) punish infringement of its customs, fiscal, immigration
or sanitary laws and regulations committed within
Samoa or the territorial sea.”.
2015, No. 6 Maritime Zones Amendment 3

7. Continental Shelf - For section 24 of the Principal Act
substitute:

“24. Continental Shelf - The continental shelf of Samoa
comprises the seabed and subsoil of the submarine areas that
extend beyond its territorial sea throughout the natural
prolongation of its land territory to a distance of 200 nautical miles
from the baselines from which the territorial sea is measured.”.

8. Regulations - In section 27(d) of the Principal Act, for the
words “the fishery” substitute “exclusive economic zone”.

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The Maritime Zones Amendment Act 2015 is administered
by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade.