605 
information now available, it appears that the most desirable long- 
range goal for a mineral regime to govern exploration and exploita- 
tion of the mineral resources of the ocean bed and subsoil seaward 
of the coastal jurisdiction will not be the creation of a supersover- 
eignty with competence to grant or deny mineral concessions. In- 
stead, the desirable goal appears to be an agreement upon norms 
of conduct by sovereign parties, in order to minimize conflicts 
between the nationals of the respective sovereigns which sponsor 
such developments. 
"While there were some early comments supporting the idea 
that the United Nations should step in as a supersovereign of the 
ocean depths, it would appear that there is no official support for 
this in the United States. At the same time there also appears to 
be general agreement, both in and out of government here and 
abroad, that no state should be permitted to acquire territorial 
sovereignty over any portion of the deep ocean floor outside the 
limits of national jurisdiction, but that such ocean floor should be 
open for exploration and exploitation by all nations. There is also 
general agreement that a nation which undertakes the exploration and 
exploitation of mineral resources on and under the deep seabed should 
be protected in the exclusive right to occupy the areas involved, with 
due regard to other uses of the marine environment, and without im- 
pairment of the high-seas character of the overlying waters. 
"We strongly endorse the principle that the ocean floor be- 
yond the limits of national jurisdiction should be open for explora- 
tion and exploitation to the nationals of every country in accordance 
with accepted principles of international law. '! 
Marine Science Commission Recommendation 
As previously noted, the Marine Science Commission report ("'Our 
Nation and the Sea,"' January 1969) proposes a narrow limit on coastal juris- 
diction (the 200-meter isobath or a line 50 miles from shore, whichever line 
encompasses the greater area), proposes a new international agreement to 
fix this limit, and proposes a moratorium on claims beyond that limit. Our 
1969 Draft Joint Report strongly disagrees with all three of these recommen- 
dations. Beyond the areas of national jurisdiction, the Commission's report 
proposes a claim-registration scheme, under which only a state or an associ- 
