- 145 - 



4. Negotiate a Less Comprehensive Resource Agreement 

 Pending Delimitation of a Maritime Boundary 



Since this alternative addresses only the situation 

 prior to delimitation of a maritime boundary, the 

 discussion above under Alternative 3 regarding the resource 

 situation after a boundary delimitation would also be 

 applicable in connection with the long-term implications 

 of this shorter-term alternative. 



Obviously any approach has merit that can help 

 address even in the short term the growing risk to long- 

 term productivity of resources posed by the strong 

 pressures to maximize current fishing opportunities for 

 those fisheries stocks now shared by both countries. 



There are, however, certain difficulties with and 

 disadvantages of this alternative which relate to how 

 effective and reliable such an interim approach might be. 



To some extent both countries have resorted to this 

 alternative in the past as witnessed by the 1977 Reciprocal 

 Fisheries Agreement and the aborted 1978 continuation of 

 that Agreement. The bilateral understandings contained in 

 those Agreements provided a certain degree of restraint as 

 both countries sought to conclude long-term arrangements. 

 These understandings ceased to apply after June 1978 when 



