無人水下載具法律地位與2016年中國大陸撈取美國無人水下載具事件對我國之啟示

A Preliminary Research on the Legal Status of Unmanned Underwater Vehicles and the Implications on the Incident of China Seizing the U.S.'s UUV in a Foreign State's EEZ in 2016

顧志文

《海洋事務與政策評論》 8卷1期 (2020/03) Pp. 87-116

https://doi.org/10.6546/MAPR.202003_8(1).87

摘要

本文針對2016年12月15日一架由美國海軍海洋探測船「鮑迪奇號」（The USNS Bowditch, T-AGS 62）所擁有的無人水下載具，於蘇比克灣西北方約50浬被中國大陸撈取後所衍生的國際法問題。本文以1982年《聯合國海洋法公約》、條約與國際實踐分析無人水下載具的法律地位，並同時以「鮑迪奇號」事件作為若發生在我國專屬經濟海域時的參考方案。研究發現：無人水下載具雖目前無一清楚之法律定位，但觀察國際實踐因航行安全的管理問題仍視其為船舶，因此我國有必要針對無人水下載具提出國內法的定義及規範，以作為它國無人水下載具於我國專屬經濟海域進行軍事海洋水文撈取調查時之法律基礎。

關鍵字

無人水下載具 ； 海洋科學研究 ； 水文調查 ； 軍事海洋資料

並列摘要

This paper analyzes the legal status of Unmanned Underwater Vehicles (UUVs) and the legality of the seizure of the USS Bowditch (T-AGS 62) by the Chinese Navy on December 15, 2016. In line with this, the author wishes to discuss the implications of the above-mentioned incident to Taiwan. The results of the analysis are that the author has recognized that currently there is no very clear legal definition on UUV, but international practices regard UUV as a ＂Ship＂ in order for them to be regulated for safety of navigation. The author, therefore, recommends the following: first, the Taiwanese government has to enact domestic laws on the legal status and regulation of UUV so as to have a legal basis for seizing and investigating foreign UUVs in its EEZ especially when they are conducting unlawful gathering of military oceanographic data. Secondly, there is a need to claim baseline in Taiping island first so that the Taiwanese government can claim jurisdiction of EEZ over the vessels operating in the area.

並列關鍵字

Unmanned underwater vehicle ； Maritime scientific research ； Hydrographic survey ； Military oceanographic data