Editing Islet (section)

== In international law ==
{{multiple image
| align     = right
| direction = vertical
| width     = 200
| header    = Islets involved in ICJ cases

| image1    = Filfla 1.jpg
| alt1      = Filfla
| caption1  = [[Filfla]] (1985)

| image2    = Zmeinyi-sea.JPG
| alt2      = Snake Island
| caption2  = [[Snake Island (Black Sea)|Snake Island]] (2009)
}}
Whether an islet is considered a rock or not, it can have significant economic consequences under Article 121 of the [[UN Convention on the Law of the Sea]], which stipulates that "Rocks which cannot sustain human habitation or economic life of their own shall have no [[exclusive economic zone]] or [[continental shelf]]." One long-term dispute over the status of such an islet was that of [[Snake Island (Black Sea)]].<ref name="Lathrop">Coalter G. Lathrop (July 22, 2009) "Maritime Delimitation in the Black Sea (Romania v. Ukraine)". [[American Journal of International Law]], Vol. 103. {{ssrn|1470697}}</ref><ref>[http://www.upi.com/Business_News/Security-Industry/2006/07/14/Ukraine-Romania-spar-over-islet/UPI-61671152893296/ Ukraine, Romania spar over islet], [[UPI]] 2006-7-14</ref><ref>[http://www.euronews.com/2009/02/03/romania-and-ukraine-avoid-rocky-horror-show/ Romania and Ukraine avoid rocky horror show] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180315070604/http://www.euronews.com/2009/02/03/romania-and-ukraine-avoid-rocky-horror-show/ |date=2018-03-15 }}, [[Euronews]], 03/02/09</ref>

The [[International Court of Justice]] jurisprudence however sometimes ignores islets, regardless of inhabitation status, in deciding territorial disputes; it did so in 2009 in adjudicating the [[Maritime delimitation between Romania and Ukraine|Romania-Ukraine dispute]], and previously in the dispute between Libya and Malta involving the islet of [[Filfla]].<ref name="Lathrop"/><ref name="Smith1991">{{cite book|author=Hance D. Smith|title=The Development of Integrated Sea Use Management|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=zH5LYOBEs48C&pg=PA82|year=1991|publisher=Taylor & Francis|isbn=978-0-415-03816-4|page=82}}</ref>