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B. Alternatives to the Proposed Action 



The proposed action is inherently flexible, partly to 

 encourage innovative resource management and to respond to 

 changing conditions of the stocks and national objectives. 

 Thus, the Agreement embraces an almost infinite number of 

 access and management alternatives. There are, however, four 

 alternatives to the proposed action that have been identified. 

 These are: 



1. No agreement. 



2. Settlement of the maritime boundary, only. 



3. Negotiation of a resource agreement after 

 delimitation of the maritime boundary. 



4. Negotiation of a less comprehensive resource 

 agreement pending delimitation of the 

 maritime boundary 



1. No Agreement 



This alternative implies a continuation of the current 

 overlap of U.S. and Canadian management programs on the east 

 coast. The establishment of 200-mile fishery zones in 1977 

 identified a serious difference between the two countries as 

 to the location of the maritime boundary in the Georges Bank 

 - Gulf of Maine area. Although it had been apparent since 

 the 1960 's that there was a difference between the United 

 States and Canada on this point, the requirement of managing 

 fisheries within defined areas greatly exacerbated the problem. 



