the mineral resources of the seabed and subsoil within the "Coastal 

 Seabed Economic Area". The coastal state would also have the 

 exclusive right to authorize and regulate the construction, operation 

 and use of offshore installations affecting its economic interests, 

 such as offshore ports and airports. The coastal state would 

 undertake an obligation to conform to internationally agreed 

 standards to prevent pollution and unjustifiable interference with 

 other uses of the marine environment, but would have the right to 

 apply higher environmental standards to those activities under its 

 jurisdiction. While giving the coastal state complete discretion to 

 decide the terms of foreign investment in the Coastal Seabed 

 Economic Area, the draft articles require that agreements for such 

 investment be strictly observed. 



With regard to fisheries, the United States continued to advocate a 

 regime based on the biological characteristics of the fish. The coastal 

 state would have management authority over anadramous species 

 (such as salmon] and coastal species, and there would be 

 international management of highly migratory species (such as 

 tuna). Also included in our proposal are provisions for the 

 application of conservation principles as well as for the full 

 utilization of the resource. Consistent with efforts in other areas of 

 the Law of the Sea negotiations, we have proposed a compulsory 

 dispute settlement mechanism. 



The work of Sub-Committee III in 1973 centered in its working 

 groups on marine scientific research and on the marine environment. 

 The latter achieved the most progress. At the spring session, it 

 elaborated draft articles on the general and particular obligations of 

 States to protect and preserve the marine environment, and 

 provisional texts on monitoring and technical assistance. During the 

 July-August session, alternative texts were prepared on global and 

 regional cooperation, and on the source of standards for controlling 

 land-based, seabed-source and vessel-source pollution. During this 

 session the U.S. introduced draft articles on the protection of the 

 marine environment and the prevention of marine pollution. These 

 articles reflect the belief that it is possible to have adequate 

 protection of the marine environment and accommodate coastal 

 state interests without prejudicing navigational rights. 



With regard to vessel-source pollution, the U.S. draft articles 

 propose exclusively international standards, with the 

 Intergovernmental Maritime Consultative Organization (IMCO) 

 having the primary responsibility for establishing such standards. 

 The U.S. proposed a Marine Environmental Protection Committee 

 (MEPCj within IMCO, which was established by the IMCO 

 AssemlDly. The MEPC will be empowered to adopt regulations on 



