International law according to the United Nations
recognizes a 12 mile limit around the coastline of each country with an ocean border as
their "territorial waters". Past the 12 mile limit is international waters, which any
boat from any nation may sail through.
There are some
countries which claim a larger boundary, as they don't feel safe with only a 12 mile
buffer, or they wish to protect resources within a said limit, but there is no basis in
international law to back them up.
This "Freedom of the
Seas" allows each nation to be an equal on the high seas during peacetime, and for
fishing and trade to take place without any maritime advantage given to one country or
the other.
So the short answer is the seas belong to no
one, and everyone.
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