As regards emerging sectors, including prospection for, and exploi
tation of, offshore mineral and energy resources, and biotechnology, for all their immense potential, it is necessary to bear in mind that, given the sensitivity of marine ecosystems and the environmental, ecological, and social functions of the seas and oceans, state authorities have to take t
he lead in managing resources in a sustainable way and protecting them so as to ensure that the general interest and the public good takes precedence over the particular interests
...[+++] of sectors or individuals.