Canadian Internal Waters

In Canadian law, Canadian Internal Waters are the waters "on the landward side of the baselines of the territorial sea of Canada".^[1]

The baselines are defined as "the low-water line along the coast or on a low-tide elevation that is situated wholly or partly at a distance not exceeding the breadth of the territorial sea of Canada from the mainland or an island,"^[2] and the territorial sea is defined as extending 12 nautical miles (22 km) from the points of the baselines, or such other points as may be prescribed.^[3][4][5]

Canada asserts that all waters within the bounds of the Canadian Arctic Archipelago, including Hudson Bay and the Northwest Passage, are within its internal waters.^[6][7] They also include the Strait of Juan de Fuca, the Strait of Georgia, Queen Charlotte Sound and Hecate Strait,^[8] the Gulf of Saint Lawrence and the Bay of Fundy.^[9]

Canada insists that its internal waters are delimited in accordance with the rules laid out in the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.^[10]

El estatus legal de una sección del Paso del Noroeste es objeto de controversia: Canadá lo considera parte de sus aguas internas , bajo plena jurisdicción canadiense según la Convención de las Naciones Unidas sobre el Derecho del Mar. [ ^{11 ] Sin} embargo, Estados Unidos no ha aceptado la convención internacional. Estados Unidos y la mayoría de las naciones marítimas consideran la zona un estrecho internacional , lo que implica que los buques extranjeros tienen derecho de "tránsito". ^{[ 7 ] [ 12 ] [ 13 ]} En un estrecho internacional, Canadá tendría derecho a promulgar regulaciones pesqueras y ambientales, leyes fiscales y contra el contrabando, y leyes destinadas a la seguridad de la navegación, pero no el derecho a cerrar el paso. ^{[ 14 ] [ 15 ] [ 16 ]}