Perspective 



Intensified International Interest in the Oceans 



Most of the world's 138 nations front on the oceans and are 

 increasingly attempting to gain their stake in the sea. Many of these 

 countries are new and developing and are entering the international ocean 

 arena for the first time. All these nations — and the landlocked countries as 

 well — are interested in the new possibilities the seas hold for improving their 

 economies. With nations using the sea more intensively, national rivalries and 

 conflicts could arise to inhibit the development of marine resources. 



Mounting international interest and activity in the oceans are clearly 

 reflected in the results of a U.N. poll last year of its member States requesting 

 information on ocean activities. Of 58 nations responding to the 

 questionnaire : 



— 52 were doing some basic or applied marine research ; 



—42 had nautical charting programs ; 



— 16 operated position fixing systems or performed related navigational 

 services ; 



— 20 monitored or forecast physical ocean conditions ; 



— 12 monitored and forecast pollutants; 



— 37 explored, monitored, and forecast fish stocks; 



— 21 undertook submarine geological and geophysical surveys; and 



— 19 were concerned with modifications of coasts and channels. 

 As to using the sea : 



— 45 engaged in fishing; 



— 9 exploited offshore petroleum and gas resources ; 



— 14 used the ocean for recreation; 



— 13 exploited minerals from ocean water and the seabed; 



— 5 extracted sand and gravel from the sea; 



— 4 utilized the ocean for power ; and 



— 7 disposed of wastes in the ocean. 

 The prospect of exploiting the seas has been magnified in the activities and 

 discussions of the international community, particularly in the General 

 Assembly of the United Nations, which is now a main focus for interna- 

 tional ocean interest. The desire of nations to obtain membership on the 

 recently created 42-nation U.N. Standing Committee on the Seabed and 

 the unanimous U.N. endorsement of an expanded international program 

 of ocean exploration with an increased role for the Intergovernmental 

 Oceanographic Commission stirred unprecedented interest in the oceans 

 last fall at the United Nations. Figure 11-14 identifies the U.N. bodies with 

 major responsibilities in the marine sciences. 



As examples of the interest of nations in these activities, 55 countries 

 participate in the activities of the FAO Committee on Fisheries, 60 countries 

 are members of the Intergovernmental Maritime Consultative Organiza- 



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