412. In the present case, the Parties do not differ on the scientific aspects of
the seabed and subsoil of the Bay of Bengal. Rather, they differ on the
interpretation of article 76 of the Convention, in particular the meaning of
“natural prolongation” in paragraph 1 of that article and the relationship
between that paragraph and paragraph 4 concerning the establishment by the
coastal State of the outer edge of the continental margin. While the Parties
agree on the geological and geomorphologic data, they disagree about their
legal significance in the present case.
413. As the question of the Parties’ entitlement to a continental shelf beyond
200 nm raises issues that are predominantly legal in nature, the Tribunal can
and should determine entitlements of the Parties in this particular case.