This limit is managed by the Department of Underwater Archeological Research (DRASSM) of the Ministry of Culture.
This limit, defined by the Heritage Code at 1 nautical mile from the low-water line, permits to delineate the areas where the licence fee for preventive archeology at sea is applied.
In Mainland France in the Gironde estuary, the limit for the preventive archeology licence fee is stopped by the crosswise limit of the sea as defined by the decree of 26 August 1857.
In French Guiana, the limit for the preventive archeology licence fee is stopped in Maroni and Oyapock rivers by the crosswise limits of the sea respectively defined the order of 30 January 1991 and the order No 863 of 26 May 1986, until meeting the land boundary which delineates the rivers with the neighbouring States.

The regulatory part of Volume IX of rural and sea fisheries laws is defined by the decree No 2014-1608 of 26 December 2014. In particular, Article D922-16 of the appendix to the decree defines a limit related to fisheries located at 3 nautical miles from the low waterline of the continent and islands and islets which are always dry.
In the particular case of Mayotte Island, in compliance with Article 61 of the prefectural decree No 2018-681 of 30 July 2018 which regulates the exercise of sea fisheries at Mayotte department, this limits is located at 3 nautical miles from the in force baselines

Title V of Volume IX of rural and sea fisheries laws defines the measures related to Overseas territories. Articles R951-14 and R953-5 in particular define for specific Overseas territories a limit located at 100 nautical miles from the in force baselines. Inside this limit, fisheries are limited to the ships registered in the ports of those Overseas territories, except dispensation allowed by State. Those restrictions are not applied to ships registered in the European Union which are traditionally fishing in those waters, as long as they do not exceed the fisheries effort which is traditionally applied.

First physical obstacle to local maritime navigation. Downstream, navigation is "maritime", upstream, navigation is "fluvial", with consequences in terms of ship safety standards, shipping police, staff qualification and social regime (merchant navy or inland waterways). It also defines fishing activities in estuaries (status of fishermen).