99 



The President's Marine Science Council in its first report said that 

 as more fisliermen participate in fisheries, the share of eacli diminishes, 

 and it may be necessary to consider these problems more broadly and 

 to initiate new forms of international cooperation and management 

 for the high seas fisheries. 



This is especially important as fishei-men move to more scientific 

 methods and have thus increased the threat to maintain sustainable 

 yields. 



So I would hope that the United Nations might, the authority might, 

 like recognizing the fishing agreements that ah-eady are existing be- 

 tween nations, multilateral and bilateral, work out a system in which 

 as President Johnson predicted, instead of being hunters in the sea we 

 will be farmers in the sea. The program must eliminate waste and make 

 it possible that there be more fish harvested and conse<j]iently more 

 people able to partake of its protein resources. 



As far as the bed of the sea is concerned, I would hope a system 

 would be worked out by the United Nations and would license exploi- 

 tation of the seabed on the basis of fully recognizing the options, the 

 various plans of bidding that Mr. Christy has suggested. But some- 

 where there has to be an authority that will guarantee the exclusive 

 right of each person, of each nation, to exploit. It should be some 

 agency set up by the United Nations. Neither the United States, nor 

 the Soviet Union, nor any particular country can do it and preserve 

 its interests. 



But I would set this agency up with the greatest efficiency in which 

 American experts, scientists, and statesmen, and others woidd partici- 

 pate, and I gather it would take several years to work out. 



Mr. Gross. I assume the United Nations, then, would finance the 

 exploitation ? 



Mr. EicTiFXBERCER. I presumc the United Nations Avould fi?ianre it 

 from their licensing fees. The United Nations certainly would not do 

 any exploiting. I certainly would not like to see them out mining this 

 stuff and sinking oil wells. 



Mr. Gross. I wondered how far you wanted to go. 



Mr. EiCHELBERGER. I would not have the United Nations own this 

 stuff or exploit it. 



Mr. Gross. That is helpful at least up to that point. 



Unfortunately, I don't have a copy of your statement, but in your 

 remarks you said something to the effect that the United Nations 

 won't stand for, I take it, being ignored in this matter. Is this correct ? 

 What did you 



Mr. EiCHELBERGER. No, sir; if I didn't make myself clear, I will try 

 again. 



I said that the underprivileged nations, there are some 80 out of 

 120-some states in the world, would not stand for an international law 

 existing solely to safeguard the rights in the sea of those that are now 

 in a position to go out and stake practically everything off. There was 

 a time when international law was so drafted as to sanctify the co- 

 lonial system, but I have seen that international law scrapped as the 

 great colonial empires have gone, and I do not believe that an over- 

 whelming part of the world would be satisfied with an international 

 law that would give a few the right to stake off the seabed, as they 

 have staked out colonies in days gone by. 



