variously determined base lines, are wholly removed from investiga- 
tion of any kind without prior consent of the nation within whose 
territory the waters are located. In somewhat similar fashion cer- 
tain inquiries of a purely scientific nature (such as geologic surveys, 
benthic boundary studies and certain biological investigations recom- 
mended by the Panel) cannot be undertaken on the Continental Shelf 
without obtaining consent from adjacent nations. It should be empha- 
sized in this connection that the seaward limit of the Continental Shelf 
is but vaguely defined, according to the presently applicable law, and 
possibly may be expandable to embrace extremely large regions of the 
ocean floor. Moreover, if in the future nations are permitted to ac- 
quire exclusive use of fishery resources in greatly enlarged ocean areas, 
such as claiming all fishery resources in waters above the Continental 
Shelf or by some other comparably extensive method, the task of ob- 
taining biological and ecological knowledge of important seafood 
resources could be frustrated entirely or at least severely handicapped. 
Neither these resources, nor their proper study can be compartmental- 
ized within artificially determined ocean boundaries if the informa- 
tion necessary for devising wise programs of control and manage- 
ment for international benefit is to be acquired. 
Since effective implementation of the national ocean program 
requires increased understanding of the sea, there is definite need both 
for continued study of effects on scientific research of extending various 
types of national boundaries into the oceans and for assuring that this 
vital aspect of the national interest receives appropriate protection. 
(2) Control and management of marine food resources (see sec. 2). 
The Panel noted that for foreign policy reasons development and 
improvement of technological capabilities of the United States for 
marine food exploitation deserve high priority in the national ocean 
program and that other countries have already taken the lead in this 
aspect of ocean exploitation. The increasing need in many parts of 
the world for sources of protein coupled with the presence of signifi- 
cant amounts of protein food in the oceans appears likely to increase 
international competition and to emphasize the importance of control 
and management of these resources. The present system of legal regu- 
lation of these international resources, under which fishery resources of 
the high seas are open to exploitation to everyone without restriction, 
is widely regarded as inadequate in light of anticipated demands. 
Among the major problems to be expected in attempting to create effi- 
cient and equitable schemes for control and management are continued 
efforts at expansion of territorial sovereignty into the oceans, either 
by enlarging the territorial sea or perhaps by attempting to acquire 
domination over rich fishery areas that are not contiguous to any nation 
and to secure vast extensions of coastal national control specifically for 
the purpose of gaining exclusive access to fisheries in zones contiguous 
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