Islands or rocks - is that the real question?: the treatment of islands in the delimitation of maritime boundaries

Islands remain a key ingredient in maritime disputes, especially in the context of the delimitation of maritime boundaries between neighbouring States. Such disputes frequently revolve around the question of whether the island in question has the capacity to generate extensive claims to maritime jurisdiction and therefore influence the course of a maritime boundary line, or whether the flature is a mere rock \u27; incapable of generating extensive maritime claims. The importance of islands to the maritime claims of coastal States and in maritime delimitation is highlighted The salient elements of the regime of islands are then outlined. The role of islands in the delimitation of maritime boundaries is then reviewed. On the basis of this assessment it is suggested that although a clear means of distinguishing between types of island remains out of reach, this debate is not necessarily the critical issue as a clear trend is emerging in terms of how small islands are dealt with in the delimitation of maritime boundaries