The present state of the Law of the Sea is inadequate to meet 

 the needs of modern technology and the concerns of the inter- 

 national community. If not modernized multilaterally, unilateral 

 action and international conflict are inevitable. At stake are the 

 maintenance of order in the oceans, protection of national security 

 and economic interests in free navigation and overflight, assurance 

 of supplies of energy and minerals from the seabeds and fisheries 

 from the sea, maintenance of maximum freedom of scientific re- 

 search, and protection of the marine environment. 



The President's statement on United States oceans policy of 

 May 23, 1970, sets out certain objectives which the United States 

 Delegation of the United Nations Seabed Committee has been 

 seeking to achieve for over two years, primarily through a number 

 of specific proposals submitted to that Committee. They include: 

 ■M A draft convention on the resources of the seabed 

 which provided a 200-meter depth limit of national 

 jurisdiction over the seabed, an intermediate zone of 

 mixed coastal state and international jurisdiction 

 embracing the continental margin, international 

 machinery to administer exploitation of seabed 

 resources in the area beyond national jurisdiction, 

 and sharing of benefits with developing countries. 

 ■M Draft treaty articles which would fix the breadth of 

 the territorial sea at 12 miles and guarantee a right 

 of free transit through and over international straits. 

 "^ Draft treaty articles providing for a system of 

 preferential rights of coastal states in high seas 

 fisheries adjacent to their coasts. 



The United States is also taking an active role in the Law of 

 the Sea negotiations on the subjects of marine pollution and marine 

 scientific research and has proposed draft treaty articles drawing 

 on the relevant conclusions of the Stockholm Conference on Human 

 Environment. 



REHABILITATION OF UNITED STATES FISHERIES 



I share with the NACOA the sense of concern in rehabilitating 

 United States fisheries. It is United States policy to bring this 

 traditional American industry back to economic health. The Com- 

 mittee's views are helpful in outlining the basic problems which 

 must be overcome to achieve this goal. 



