AFAIK, under international law for statehood it would require a permanent population, a defined territory, government and capacity to enter into relations with the other states.[1]
There is some precedent for non-states getting "international personhood" but so far its only happened to the UN and even that is only minimal personhood. [2] I don't think the logic would carry over.
Treating it as a natural resource would probably put it under the jurisdiction of states where it resides. At that point, maybe states can do what Equador did with nature and treat it as having fundamental rights in their constitution.
There is some precedent for non-states getting "international personhood" but so far its only happened to the UN and even that is only minimal personhood. [2] I don't think the logic would carry over.
Treating it as a natural resource would probably put it under the jurisdiction of states where it resides. At that point, maybe states can do what Equador did with nature and treat it as having fundamental rights in their constitution.
[1]http://www.taiwandocuments.org/montevideo01.htm [2]http://www.icj-cij.org/docket/files/4/1835.pdf (very long and I don't think mostly relevant).