INTERNATI ON AL COURT OF JUSTICE MARITIME DELIMITATION BETWEEN NICARAGUA AND HONDURAS IN THE CARIBBEAN SEA (NICARAGUA v. HONDURAS) COUNTER-MEMORIAL OF THE REPUBLIC OF HONDURAS VOLUME 1 21 MARCH 2002 iii CONTENTS LIST OF COLOUR PLATES IN VOLUME 1.. ........................................................ vii CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION .............................................................................. ! 1. Outline of the Honduran Counter-Memorial ............................................. l II. Omissions, Confusions and Contradictions in the Memorial of Nicaragua ................................................................................................... 4 A. Nicaragua Ignores the 1906 Arbitral A ward of the King of Spain and the 1960 J udgment of the International Court of Justice ................................................................................................. 4 B. Nicaragua Ignores Relevant International Conventions ..................... 6 C. Nicaragua's Memorial is Contradictory asto the Issue of the Applicable Law to be Applied by the International Court of Justice .................................................................................. 6 D. Nicaragua Misrepresents the Significance ofthe Islands, Reefs and Banks Situated North of Parallel 15 .................................. 7 E. Nicaragua Ignores the Traditional Use by Both States of Parallel 15 as a Boundary ................................................................... 8 F. Nicaragua Makes Selective Use ofHistorical Material, Particularly in Relation to the Principle of Uti Possidetis Juris .................................................................................................... 9 G. Nicaragua's Allegation of Bad Faith By Honduras Is Misconceived ................................................................................... 10 H. Nicaragua's Presentation and Translation of Certain Material is Inadequate ...................................................................... 11 CHAPTER 2: THE GEOGRAPHICAL CONTEXT OF THE DISPUTE .................... 13 Introduction ..................................................................................................... 13 1. Geography of the Maritime Areas, Including the Islands and Fishing Banks .......................................................................................... 13 II. The Importance of Delimitation Treaties in the Region .......................... 20 (1) The 1928 Nicaragua!Colombia Treaty ............................................. 21 (2) The 1986 Honduras/Colombia Treaty .............................................. 22 (3) The 1993 Colombia!Jamaica Treaty ................................................ 22 Ill. The "Nicaraguan Rise" ............................................................................ 24 IV. The Traditional Delimitation Line ofthe 15'h Paralle1.. ........................... 25 iv CHAPTER 3: THE HISTORICAL AND POLITICAL BACKGROUND TO THE PROCEEDINGS ............................................................................................ 29 1. lntroduction .............................................................................................. 29 1 Il. The History During the Colonial Period and the 19 h Century ................. 29 III. The Turtle Fishing Dispute between Nicaragua and the United Kingdom ( 1896-1905) ............................................................................. 33 IV. 1906-1960 ................................................................................................ 36 V. The Conduct ofthe Parties between 1960 and 1979 ................................ 38 VI. Practice Since 1979 .................................................................................. 39 A. The Legislation of the Parties on Maritime Areas .......................... .41 B. The Po licy of Harassment and Incidents Provoked by Nicaragua ......................................................................................... 4 7 C. The Recent Amplification of the Nicaraguan Maritime Claims .......................................................... ,................................... 52 VII. Cartographie Evidence ............................................................................. 56 CHAPTER 4: THE APPLICABLE LAW .... ., ......................................................... 59 1. The Applicability of the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea ...................................................................................................... 59 Il. The Legal Principles Applicable to the Case ........................................... 61 A. The Arguments ofNicaragua ........................................................... 61 B. The Position of Honduras ................................................................. 63 Ill. The Place and Role of Equity .................................................................. 64 IV. The Legal Definition and Treatment of Islands ....................................... 67 V. The Nicaraguan Geomorphological Argument.. ...................................... 68 CHAPTER 5: THE UTI POSSIDETIS JURIS ......................................................... 71 1. The Significance of Uti Possidetis Juris for the Present Proceedings .............................................................................................. 71 II. The Application of the Uti Possidetis Juris in the Region Concemed: the Existence of an Effective Boundary Inherited from the Colonization .............................................................................. 71 III. The Fonction of the Uti Possidetis Juris in the Present Case: Establishment of an Initial Legal Title ..................................................... 78 IV. Conclusion ............................................................................................... 86 v CHAPTER 6: EFFECTIVITÉS AND THE EXERCISE OF HONDURAN SOVEREIGNTY AND JURISDICTION OVER THE ISLANDS AND SURROUNDING WATERS NORTH OF THE 15TH PARALLEL .............................. 87 I. Introduction .............................................................................................. 87 Il. The Indicia of Honduran Exercise of Sovereignty ................................... 89 A. Honduras Exercises Administrative Control Over, and Applies Honduran Public and Administrative Legislation and Laws to, the A rea ....................................................................... 91 B. Honduras Applies and Enforces Its Criminal and Civil Laws in the Area North ofParallel15 ............................................. 95 (1) Criminal Law ............................................................................ 96 (2) Civil Law .................................................................................. 97 C. Honduras Regulates the Exploration and Exploitation ofOil and Gas Activities in the Area ......................................................... 98 D. Honduras Regulates Fisheries Activities in the Area ..................... 102 E. Honduras Regulates Immigration in the Area ................................ 118 F. Honduras Carries Out Military and Naval Patrols in the A rea, As Weil As Search and Rescue Operations .......................... 121 G. Honduras Engages in Public Works and Scientific Surveys in the A rea ...................................................................................... 125 H. Third Parties Recognise Honduran Sovereignty and Jurisdiction in the Area .................................................................. 126 I. Honduras Has Consistently Objected To Any Claims by Nicaragua To the Area North ofParallel 15 .................................. 130 III. Conclusions ............................................................................................ 130 CHAPTER 7: THE APPLICATl ON OF THE RELEVANT CIRCUMSTANCES AND THE COURSE OF THE SINGLE MARITIME BOUNDARY ...................................................................................................... 133 1. Introduction ............................................................................................ 133 II. The Circumstances lnvoked by Nicaragua Which Are Irrelevant or Misconceived ..................................................................................... 134 A. The Bathymetrie Feature, the Nicaraguan Rise ............................. 134 B. The Alleged Security Need ............................................................ 134 C. The Argument That "the Bisector" Would Give to Nicaragua an Equitable Share ofthe Resources of the Area .......... l35 D. The Instability of the Mouth ofthe River Coco ............................. l36 VI III. The Relevant Circumstances Ignored by Nicaragua .............................. l37 A. The Conduct ofthe Parties ............................................................. l37 (1) Oil and Gas Concessions ........................................................ 138 (2) Fishing Activities ................................................................... 138 (3) Naval and Aerial Patrols ......................................................... l39 B. The Presence oflslands .................................................................. 140 C. Boundary and Other Treaties Circumscribing the Relevant Area ................................................................................................ l41 (1) The 1928 Nicaragua!Colombia Treaty ................................... 142 (2) The 1986 Honduras/Colombia Treaty ...................................