What does a country have sovereignty over in its territorial sea?

A country has sovereignty over all resources above and below the water in its territorial sea as recognized under international law. This concept is intrinsic to the definition of territorial seas, which extend up to 12 nautical miles from a nation’s baseline. Within this area, a coastal state exercises full sovereignty similar to its land territory. This includes control over natural resources, such as fish stocks and minerals, and navigational rights for vessels.

While fishing rights are indeed part of the sovereignty a country has, they are encompassed within the broader scope of resources included in the territorial sea. Exclusive economic resources also play a role, but they are more relevant to the exclusive economic zone (EEZ), which extends beyond the territorial sea. The control of all vessels, whether foreign or domestic, applies primarily in the context of enforcing laws and regulations within the territorial sea, but does not fully capture the expansive resource rights inherent to sovereignty in that zone.