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factory vessels already circle the globe and dominate fishing areas
that were once the province of small costal boats. The
world-wide fish harvest is increasing dramatically, but without
due regard to sound management or the legitimate concerns of
costal states. Shifting population patterns will soon place
new strains on the ecology of the world's coastlines.

The current negotiation may thus be the world's last chance.

There simply is no satisfactory solution by national means; unilateral action only invites counteraction and anarchy. The failure to reach a legal consensus will mean unrestrained military and commercial rivalry and perpetual and mounting political turmoil.

The United States strongly believes that law must govern
the oceans. We welcomed the United Nations mandate in
1970 for a multilateral conference to write a comprehensive
treaty governing the use of the oceans and their resources.
We contributed substantially to the progress that was made
at Caracas last summer and at Geneva this past spring
which produced a "single negotiating text" of a draft treaty.
This will focus the work of the next session, scheduled for
March 1976 in New York.
The United States intends to intensify its efforts to secure an
issuance of the Law of the Sea negotiation stretch from the shoreline to the farthest deep seabed. The issues include:

- The extent of the territorial sea and the related issue of guarantees of transit through straits;

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[Y]

-- the degree of control that a coastal state can
exercise in an offshore economic zone beyond its
territorial waters; and

-- the international system for the exploitation of
the ~~minimal~~ potential of the deep seabeds.

If we begin at the coastline and work outward, the first issue is the extent of the territorial sea -- the belt of ocean over which the coastal state exercises sovereignty. Historically, it has been recognized as three miles; that has been the long-established United States position. (Other states have increasingly claimed 12 miles or even 200, ~~twelve~~).

After years of dispute and contradictory international
practice, the Law of the Sea Conference is approaching a
consensus on a twelve-mile territorial limit. We are prepared

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to accept this solution, provided the treaty guarantees

unimpeded transit rights through and over straits used

for international navigation, ~~For without such guarantees~~, is guaranteed.

a twelve-mile territorial sea would place over 100 straits

now free for international sea and air travel, ~~under the~~

jurisdictional control of coastal states. These would include

some of the world's most important ocean highways,

including the Straits of Gibraltar, Malacca, Bab-el-Mandeb, ~

and Hormuz. The United States cannot accept ~~this~~; A-

Freedom of international transit through these and other
Treaty guarantee of unimpeded transit of straits used

straits is for the benefit of all nations, for trade and for
for international navigation is as essential to the United

security. The cause of international peace will be the
States as to the rest of the international community. We are

undetermined. We will not join in any agreement
convinced that the peace will be threatened if the Conference

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[y]

The United States urges -- with the support of
many countries -- the international recognition of

a 200-mile offshore economic zone. Under our proposal,
coastal states would control fisheries and mineral
resources in the economic zone but freedom of
communication and other freedoms of the international community

would be preserved. Fishing within the zone would be
managed by the coastal state, which would have an

international duty to apply agreed standards of conservation. If the coastal state could not harvest all the

yearly fishing catch, other countries would be allowed

to do so. Special arrangements for tuna and salmon,

and other fish which migrate over large distances, would