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Georges Bank as a zone of exclusive fisheries jurisdiction 

 and access for each country could also intensify competi- 

 tive fishing pressures on Georges Bank stocks. It is 

 likely that each country in its limited zone of exclusive 

 access would strive to harvest a share of the catch from 

 Georges Bank stocks approximating at least what it had 

 taken when a larger but shared area of Georges Bank had 

 been available for fishing. In other words, each country 

 at a minimum would strive to prevent disruption of its 

 traditional fishing activities, even if this led to more 

 intensive fishing in a more restricted area. In addition, 

 either country or both might conclude that the nature 

 of the boundary settlement entitled it to an increased 

 share of the harvest of particular stocks. 



The result could easily be total catches in excess 

 of what either country individually would recommend, pro- 

 ducing threats to resource stability as well as com- 

 plicating future efforts to determine hov; resources 

 available for both countries should be shared and managed 

 after the boundary delimitation. 



The risk of such developments if the fishing areas 

 of Georges Bank are divided between the two countries 

 arises because: 



