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Limits and Status of the Territorial Sea, Exclusive Fishing Zones, Fishery Conservation Zones and the Continental Shelf*
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 18 May 2017
Extract
The information contained in this publication is taken from official or other reliable sources. It does not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of the Pood and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations concerning the legal or constitutional status of any country, territory or sea area, or concerning the delimitation of frontiers. Nor must it he construed as an official declaration by any government of its claim over any sea area or as constituting an implied or explicit recognition by any government of the claim of any other government over any such sea area.
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- Copyright © American Society of International Law 1971
Footnotes
[Reproduced from U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization Fisheries Circular No. 127 (Rome: August 1971).
[The supplemental information which appears in brackets throughout the survey was provided by the U.S. Department of State.
[The present survey is a revised version of an earlier FAO study which appeared at 8 International Legal Materials 516 (1969).]
References
Footnotes
1/ An Agreement Concerning Fishing signed in December 1967 by Argentina and Brazil provides that nationals of one country may fish in the territorial sea of the other beyond a 6-mile limit measured from the base line of the said area.
Under Fisheries Act No. 17500 of 25 October 1967 the sea area of Argentina is divided into two zones – below and above the Colorado river. Exploitation of sea resources within 12 miles of the coast is reserved for Argentine vessels. Permits to fish in other areas within Argentine waters may be granted to foreign vessels subject to conditions set out in Decree No. 8802 of 22 November 1967 and subsequent regulations.
2/ The Australia/Japan Agreement of 27 November 1968 authorizes, for a period of seven years with regard to Australia and three years with regard to Papua and New Guinea, tuna long-line fishing by Japanese vessels in specified aread of the Australian fishing zone.
3/ See footnote 13, 1st paragraph.
4/ Decree No. 68.458 of 1 April 1971 provides that within the territorial sea up to 100 miles, fishing shall be reserved for vessels owned or chartered by Brazilian nationals. Exceptions may be granted in favour of foreign vessels in special circumstances. Foreign vessels may fish in the area between 100 and 200 miles subject to licensing.
An Agreement Concerning Fishing signed in December 1967 by Argentina and Brazil provides that nationals of one country may fish in the territorial sea of the other beyond a 6-mile limit measured from the base line of the said area.
In a Declaration of 10 May 1969, the Governments of Brazil and Uruguay adopted the median line principle as delimiting the maritime boundary between the two countries.
5/ The Federal National Assembly voted on 21 October 1967 to extend Cameroon’s territorial sea to 18 nautical miles from the present 6-mile limit. This modification of the Merchant Marine Code will not go into effect until the President of the Republic promulgates the law.
6/ The Canada/United States Agreement signed on 24 April 1970 sets out reciprocal fishing privileges for designated species and areas over a period of two years.
The Canada/USSR Agreement on Co-operation in Fisheries in the Northeastern Pacific Ocean off the Coast of Canada, entered into force on 19 February 1971, allows, inter alia, fishing vessels of the USSR to conduct fishing with trawls in specified areas between 3 and 12 miles of the territorial sea of Canada.
7/ The areas prescribed under the Territorial Sea and Fishing Zones Act (1970) are the Gulf of St. Lawrence, Bay of Fundy, Queen Charlotte Sound, Dixon Entrance and Hecate Strait. These areas are delimited by “fishery closing lines” drawn across their entrances pursuant to Order in Counoil P.C. 1971–366.
8/ The Declaration on the Maritime Zone of 1952 signed and ratified by Chile, Ecuador and Peru proclaimed and incorporated in the international maritime policies of these countries the exclusive jurisdiction and sovereignty over the area of the sea, the subsoil and seabed adjacent to their coastlines and extending to a line parallel to, and not less than 200 nautical miles from, the said coastlines.
9/ Has not yet enacted any legislation on the subject.
10/ Costa Rica adhered to the Declaration on the Maritime Zone of 1952 on 3 October 1955 (see p.2). However, in a declaration of 21 November 1966 the President of the Republic explained his veto of a draft law submitted for his approval, the purpose of which was the ratification of Costa Rica’s adherence to the Declaration on the Maritime Zone of 1952- The draft law, in expressly adopting the provisions of the declaration proclaiming sole sovereignty and jurisdiction over the sea to a distance of 200 miles from the coastline, was in violation of Article 6 of the Costa Rican Constitution of 1949, which provided for complete and exclusive sovereignty over the territorial sea and the continental shelf in accordance with principles of international law.
11/ By judgement delivered on 14 December 1950 in the case Jones Boden vs. Han Daniéls, the Costa Rican Sala de Casación defined the breadth of the territorial sea as being 3 miles (Collección de Sentencias, vol.2, 2nd semester, 1950, p. 1220).
12/ In a letter of 14 May 1968 addressed to the Regional Representative of the United Nations Development Programme for Central America, in reply to FAO’s request for information, the Minister for Foreign Affairs stated that the relevant Costa Rican legislation did not represent a claim to exclusive jurisdiction with respect to fisheries but proclaimed the country’s interest in the conservation of the re-sources concerned and its right to exercise control so as to prevent irrational exploitation of these resources, in its own interest as well as that of other states.
13/ In accordance with the 1964 European Fisheries Convention, Belgian fishermen were authorized by Denmark to fish for one year in the 3– to 6–mile area and indefinitely in the 6– to 12–mile area of the Danish fishing zone, for specified fish and in specifically designated areas.
The Denmark/Federal Republic of Germany Agreement of 7 June 1968 provides for the exercise of German traditional fishing rights in certain designated areas for specified fish in the Danish fishing zone, in accordance with the 1964 European Fisheries Convention.
14/ The Denmark/Norway/Sweden Agreement of 19 December 1966, which entered into force in 1967, provides that the three countries may fish up to a line 4 miles from the base line of their territorial sea in the Skagerrak and Kattegat.
A Denmark/Norway Agreement which entered into force on 1 July 1967 authorizes Norwegian fishermen to fish in a part of the Kattegat to the east of the coast between Skagen and Frederikshavn lying in the Danish fishing zone. This agreement is to remain in force for as long as the Denmark/Norway/Sweden Agreement referred to above remains in force.
15/ The Denmark/Federal Republic of Germany Agreement of 9 June 1965 provides for the delimination of the continental shelf of the North Sea adjacent to Danish and German territories. It also provides that the “median line” principle should be adopted in delimiting the continental shelf adjacent to the coast of the Baltic Sea opposite each of the two countries.
The Denmark/Norway Agreement of 8 December 1965 fixes a common frontier delimiting the continental shelf on the basis of the median line principle.
The Denmark/United Kingdom Agreement of 3 March 1966 provides for an equal division of the continental shelf between Denamrk and the United Kingdom, on the basis of the median line principle.
The Denmark/Netherlands Agreement of 31 March 1966 provides for the delimitation of the continental shelf on the basis of the median line principle.
By virtue of special agreements between Denmark and the Federal Republic of Germany and between the Federal Republic of Germany and the Netherlands, the International Court of Justice was requested to decide what principles and rules of law were applicable to the delimitation of the areas of the continental shelf in the North Sea appertaining to each of them. In its judgement of 20 February 1969, the Court held inter alia that the Federal Republic of Germany was not bound by the 1958 Convention on the Continental Shelf, as it had not ratified it. The principle of equidistance was not a rule of customary international law. The boundary lines should be drawn in agreement between the parties, in accordance with equitable principles. The Court indicated certain factors to be taken into consideration in delimiting the continental shelf.
16/ The Denmark/Norway Agreement on Fishing off Greenland of 20 April 1967 grants the same fishing rights to Norwegian nationals as to Danish nationals in the fisheries off Greenland’s east coast. These rights are granted for 5 years and will continue for an additional 5 years provided that there is no demonstrable damage to the fisheries of the native Greenlanders.
17/ The Declaration on the Maritime Zone of 1952, signed and ratified by Chile, Ecuador and Peru, proclaimed and incorporated in the international maritime policies of these three countries the exclusive jurisdiction and sovereignty over the area of the sea, the subsoil and seabed adjacent to their coastlines and extending to a line parallel to, and not less than 200 nautical miles from, the said coastlines.
18/ See footnote 51.
19/ The Finland/USSR Agreement of 20 May 1965, Regarding the Boundaries of Sea Waters and the Continental Shelf in the Gulf of Finland refers to the 1958 Geneva Convention on the Continental Shelf and establishes along agreed points a sea boundary line between the contracting parties, as well as the boundary lines of their respective territorial sea in the Gulf of Finland in the northeast section of Sursari (Gogland) Island.
The Finland/USSR Agreement on the Continental Shelf Boundary in the Baltic Sea of 5 May 1967 provides for the delimitation on the median line principle of the continental shelf between both countries in a specified area of the north-eastern Baltic Sea.
20/ The France/Spain Fisheries Agreement of 20 March 1967 authorizes each contracting party’s fishermen to fish indefinitely for all species in the 6– to 12–mile area within their respective fishing zone.
The France/United Kingdom Agreement of 24 September 1951 regarding rights of fishery in areas of the Ecrehos and Minquiers interpreted a convention of 2 August 1839 between both parties as offering British and French nationals equal fishing rights in areas of the Ecrehos and Minquiers between the limit of 3 miles from the low-water mark off the coast of Jersey and the limit within which exclusive right of fishing is reserved to French nationals by that convention, as redefined by a declaration regarding the limit of French fisheries in Granville Bay of 20 September 1928.
A Decree of 25 March 1970, giving effect to an Agreement concluded between France and the United Kingdom under the provisions of the European Fisheries Convention of 1964, allows British vessels to fish for certain species in designated areas within the 6– to 12-mile belt off the coast of France and grants certain temporary transitional rights to British fishing vessels in the 3- to 6-mile belt until 31 December 1971.
21/ See footnote 13, 2nd paragraph.
22/ The Federal Republic of Germany/Netherlands Agreement of 1 December 1964 Concerning the Lateral Delimitations of the Continental Shelf in the Vicinity of the Coast provides for the lateral division of the continental shelf between both countries up to the 54th parallel of North latitude.
The Denmark/Federal Republic of Germany Agreement of 9 June 1965 provides for the delimitation of the continental shelf of the North Sea adjacent to Danish and German territories. It also provides that the median line principle should be adopted in delimiting the continental shelf adjacent to the coast of the Baltic Sea opposite the two countries.
See footnote 15, 5th paragraph.
23/ Under Decree No. 224 of 3 June 1964, the territorial sea is delimited as follows: in the north by 10°56’ 42” North latitude; in the south by 9 03’18” North latitude to a distance of 130 nautical miles seaward from a straight line running southwest of the island of Sène, the Tristao group, and south via the southwest tip of the island of Tamara to the low-tide level.
24/ The breadth of the territorial sea is measured from straight lines drawn between the outermost points of the islands forming part of the Indonesian archipelago.
The Indonesia/Japan Agreement of 20 July 1968 authorizes Japanese vessels to fish in designated areas of the Indonesian territorial sea. The agreement, concluded for one year, has since been extended until 26 July 1972.
25/ The Indonesia/Malaysia Agreement of 27 October 1969, which entered into force on 7 November 1969, establishes the lines of delimitation of the respective continental shelves.
26/ The Iran/Saudi Arabia Agreement of 24 October 1968, which entered into force on 29 January 1969, recognizes the sovereignty of Iran over the island of Farsi and that of Saudi Arabia over the island of Al-Arabiyah. Each island possesses a belt of territorial sea 12 nautical miles in width. The agreement establishes a boundary line separating the submarine areas appertaining to Iran from those appertaining to Saudi Arabia.
27/ By order under section 5(2) of the Maritime Jurisdiction Act, 1964, the fishing vessels of Belgium, France, Federal Republic of Germany, Netherlands, Spain and the United Kingdom are authorized to fish particular stocks of fish in the 6- to 12-mile area of the fishing zone.
28/ See footnotes 49 and 60.
29/ The Italy/Yugoslavia Agreement of 8 January 1968 establishes the line of delimitation of the respective continental shelves.
30/ New legislation providing for the extension of the territorial sea to 12 miles is under consideration.
31/ See footnotes 2; 24, 2nd paragraph; 35; 52, 5th paragraph; 56, 2nd paragraph; and 57, 1st paragraph.
32/ The Japan/Republic of Korea Fisheries Agreement of 22 June 1965 makes no mention of the Korean fishing zone established under the Presidential Proclamation of 18 January 1952. Instead, it establishes a joint conservation zone off the Korean coast and recognizes that each contracting party has the right to establish an exclusive fishing zone of 12 miles.
33/ In a letter of 11 May 1969 addressed to FAO, the Directorate of Fisheries described the “fishing territory” of the Maldive Islands as follows:
“A line drawn from a point at 7°42’30” North latitude and 70°53’30” East longitude, due south along 70°53’30” East longitude to 2°22’30” South latitude, thence due east to 75°23’ East longitude, thence due north along 75°23’ East longitude to 7°28’ North latitude, thence in north-westerly direction to a point at 75°10’10” East longitude and 7°42’30” North latitude due west to the original point.”
34/ The Indonesia/Malaysia Agreement of 27 October 1969, which entered into force on 7 November 1969, establishes the lines of delimitation of the respective continental shelves.
35/ The Japan/Mexico Fisheries Agreement of 1968 allows Japanese fishing vessels to fish for 5 years, for specified species and within certain limits, in the 9- to 12 mile sea area off the coast of Mexico.
The Mexico/United States Fisheries Agreement of 27 October 1967 provides for reciprocal fishing rights for United States and Mexican fishermen off each other’s coasts in the 9- to 12-mile area for 5 years beginning 1 January 1968. Conditions designating the species and catch limits, collaboration in the exchange of date, and research and conservation are also provided for.
36/ The Morocco/Spain Convention of 4 January 1969 authorizes the nationals of each country to fish in the “territorial sea” of the contracting parties subject to specified conditions. For the purposes of the convention “territorial sea” is taken to mean, in relation to fisheries, a zone adjacent to the coast extending to a distance of 12 miles from the base line of the territorial sea.
37/ The Federal Republic of Germany/Netherlands Agreement of 1 December 1964 Concerning the Lateral Delimitations of the Continental Shelf in the Vicinity of the Coast provides for the lateral division of the continental shelf between both countries up to the 54th parallel of North latitude.
The Netherlands/United Kingdom Agreement of 6 October 1965 Relating to the Delimitation of the Continental Shelf Under the North Sea Between the Two Countries establishes the boundary between the respective parts of the continental shelf on the basis of the median line principle. On the same date, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom also signed an Agreement Relating to the Exploitation of Single Geological Structures Extending Across the Dividing Line on the Continental Shelf Under the North Sea.
The Denmark/Netherlands Agreement of 31 March 1966 provides for the delimitation of the continental shelf on the basis of the median line principle. See also footnote 15, 5th paragraph.
38/ See footnotes 14, 2nd paragraph and 53, 2nd paragraph.
39/ The Norway/USSR Agreement of 15 February 1957, concerning the sea frontier between the two countries, defines the Norwegian/USSR sea frontier in the Varanger fjord as a straight line from an agreed frontier mark to the intersection of the outer limits of USSR and Norwegian territorial seas. Neither of the parties is to extend its territorial sea beyond the straight line extending from the said inter-section to the median point of the line between Cape Nemetsky and Cape Kibergnes.
The Denmark/Norway/Sweden Agreement of 19 December 1966, which entered into force in 1967, provides that the three countries may fish up to a line 4 miles from the base line of their territorial sea in the Skagerrak and Kattegat.
40/ The Denmark/Norway/Sweden Agreement of 19 December 1966, which entered into force in 1967, provides that the three countries may fish up to a line 4 miles from the base line of their territorial sea in the Skagerrak and Kattegat.
41/ The Norway/United Kingdom Agreement of 10 March 1965 on the Continental Shelf provides for an equal division of the continental shelf between Norway and the United Kingdom on the basis of the median line principle.
The Denmark/Norway Agreement of 8 December 1965 fixes a common frontier delimiting the shelf on the basis of the median line principle.
42/ The Declaration on the Maritime Zone of 1952, signed and ratified by Chile, Ecuador and Peru proclaimed and incorporated in the international maritime policies of these three countries the exclusive jurisdiction and sovereignty over the area of the sea, the subsoil and seabed adjacent to their coastlines and extending to a line parallel to, and not less than 200 nautical miles from, the said coastlines.
43/ The Philippine Government considers as its territorial sea those waters within the recognized treaty limits; and for this reason it takes the view that the breadth of the territorial sea may extend beyond 12 miles. It may therefore be necessary to make exceptions, upon historical grounds, by means of treaties or conventions between states. It would seem also that the rule prescribing the limits of the territorial sea has been based largely on the continental nature of a coastal state. The Philippine Government is of the opinion that certain pro-visions should be made taking into account the archipelagic nature of certain states like the Philippines (Yearbook of the International Law Commission, 1956, Vol. II, p. 69–70).
44/ The Poland/USSR Treaty on the Course of the Boundary of the Continental Shelf in the Gulf of Gdansk and the Southeastern Baltic Sea of 29 August 1969, which entered into force on 13 May 1970, adopts the median line as the boundary between the respective continental shelves.
45/ The Iran/Saudi Arabia Agreement of 24 October 1968, which entered into force on 29 January 1969, recognizes the sovereignty of Saudi Arabia over the island of Al-Arabiyah and that of Iran over the island of Farsi. Each island possesses a belt of territorial sea 12 nautical miles in width. The agreement establishes a boundary line separating the submarine areas appertaining to Saudi Arabia from those appertaining to Iran.
46/ The Morocco/Spain Convention of 4 January 1969 authorizes the nationals of each country to fish in the “territorial sea” of the contracting parties subject to specified conditions. For the purposes of the convention the territorial sea is taken to mean, in relation to fisheris, a zone adjacent to the coast extending to a distance of 12 miles from the base line of the territorial sea.
47/ The France/Spain Fisheries Agreement of 20 March 1967 authorizes each contracting party’s fishermen to fish indefinitely for all species in the 6-to 12-mile area within their respective fishing zone.
48/ The Denmark/Norway/Sweden Agreement of 19 December 1966, which entered into force in 1967, provides that the three countries may fish up to a line 4 miles from the base line of their territorial sea in the Skagerrak and Kattegat.
49/ The Tunisia/Italy Agreement concerning fishing by Italian vessels in Tunisian waters of 1 February 1963 authorized, subject to specified, conditions, Italian fishing vessels to fish in designated areas of the Tunisian territorial sea and exclusive fishing zone. These areas lie between the 3-mile limit and and the 6- to 12-mile limits. The Agreement expired on 31 December 1970 and negotiations on the matter are in progress.
50/ See footnotes 6, 2nd paragraph; 56 3rd and 4th paragraphs; and 57, 2nd paragraph.
51/ The Finland/USSR Agreement Regarding Fishing and Sealing of 13 June 1969 grants to Finnish nationals the right to engage in fishing and sealing in certain areas of the territorial sea of the USSR in the Gulf of Finland.
52/ The USSR/Norway Agreement of 15 February 1957, concerning the sea frontier between the two countries, defines the USSR/Norwegian sea frontier in the Varanger fjord as a straight line from an agreed frontier mark to the inter-section of the outer limits of USSR and Norwegian territorial seas. Neither of the parties is to extend its territorial sea beyond the straight line extending from the said intersection to the median point of the line between Cape Nemetsky and Cape Kibergnes.
The Finland/USSR Agreement of 20 May 1965, Regarding the Boundaries of Sea Waters and the Continental Shelf in the Gulf of Finland, refers to the 1958 Geneva Convention on the Continental Shelf and establishes along agreed points a sea boundary line between the contracting parties, as well as the boundary lines of their territorial sea in the Gulf of Finland in the northeast section of the Sursari (Gogland) Island.
The Finland/USSR Agreement on the Continental Shelf Boundary in the Baltic Sea of 5 May 1967 provides for the delimitation on the median line principle of the continental shelf between both countries in a specified area of the north-eastern Baltic Sea.
The Poland/USSR Treaty on the Course of the Boundary of the Continental Shelf in the Gulf of Gdansk and the Southeastern Baltic Sea of 29 August 1969, which entered into force on 13 May 1970, adopts the median line as the boundary between the respective continental shelves.
The Japan/USSR King Crab Agreement of 11 April 1969 regulated fishing for king crabs and tanner crabs in the northwestern Pacific and in the Okhotsk Sea for a period of one year. A new Agreement was signed on 7 April 1970 for a further period of one year.
53/ The France/United Kingdom Agreement of 24 September 1951 regarding rights of fishery, in areas of the Ecrehos and Kinquiers interpreted a Convention of 2 August 1839 between both Parties as offering British and French nationals equal fishing rights in areas off the Screhos and Minquiers between the limit of 3 miles from the low-water mark off the coast of Jersey and the limit within which exclusive right of fishing is reserved to French nationals by that Convention, as redefined by a declaration regarding the limit of French fisheries in Granville Bay of 20 September 1928.
The Norway/United Kingdom Agreement on Fisheries of 28 September 1964 authorizes Norwegian fishing vessels to fish for designated species in special areas of the 6- to 12-mile belt of the United Kingdom zone until 31 December 1984.
The Fishing Boats (France) Designation Order of 1965, implementing the provisions of the European Fisheries Convention of 1964, allows French vessels to fish for certain species of fish in designated areas within the 6- to 12-mile belt of the coast of the United Kingdom.
54/ The Norway/United Kingdom Agreement on the Continental Shelf of 10 March 1965 provides for an equal division of the continental shelf between Norway and the United Kingdom based on the median line principle.
The Netherlands/United Kingdom Agreement of 6 October 1965 Relating to the Delimitation of the Continental Shelf Under the North Sea Between the Two Countries establishes the boundary between the respective parts of the continental shelf on the basis of the median line principle. On the same date, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom signed an Agreement Relating to the Exploitation of Single Geological Structures Extending Across the Dividing Line on the Continental Shelf Under the North Sea.
The Denmark/United Kingdom Agreement of 3 March 1966 provides for an equal division of the continental shelf between Denmark and the United Kingdom, on the basis of the median line principle.
55/ In a letter of 11 October 1967 addressed to FAO, the Ministry of Overseas Development stated that the United Kingdom Territorial Waters Jurisdiction Act, 1878, and the Colonial Boundaries Act, 1895, which provide for a 3-mile territorial sea limit, extended to dependent territories that were colonies. There was no act which specified generally the extent of territorial waters, fishery limits, or continental shelves of Dominions. Some dependent territories had special legislation relating to fishery limits and the continental shelf (viz. Bahamas, Cayman Islands, Turks and Caicos Islands, Falkland Islands, Virgin Islands, Seychelles and Gilbert and Ellis Islands). The United King- s ratification of the four 1958 Conventions on the Law of the Sea extended to dependent territories other than the Persian Gulf Protected States.
56/ The Mexico/United States Fisheries Agreement of 27 October 1967 provides for reciprocal rights for United States and Mexican fishermen off each other’s coasts in the 9- “to 12-mile area for 5 years beginning 1 January 1968. Conditions designating the species and catch limits, collaboration in the exchange of data and research and conservation are also provided for.
The Japan/United States Fisheries Agreement of 9 May 1967 provides that Japanese nationals and fishing vessels shall not engage in fishing in the exclusive fishing zone of the United States except for crab and tuna in special areas. Dragnet and long-line fishing is also permitted in specified areas and on specified dates and loading operations are restricted to certain areas. The agreement, effective from 9 May 1967 to 31 December 1968, and in some cases to 31 May 1969, was modified by further agreements of 23 December 1963 and 1 January 1971 and was extended for further two-year periods.
The United States/USSR Agreement on Fishery Problems in the Western Areas of the Middle Atlantic Ocean of 25 November 1967 authorizes inter alia fishing vessels of the USSR to fish during a specified period in specifically designated areas within the United States exclusive fishing zone. This agreement was modified and extended in December 1968 and again in December 1970.
The United States/USSR Agreement on Certain Fishery Problems in the North-eastern Part of the Pacific Ocean off the Coast of the United States of 13 February 1967 established specially designated areas of the high seas off the coast of the United States in which nationals and vessels of the USSR are not to en-gage in fishing. In return, vessels and nationals of the USSR were authorized to fish in specifically designated areas within the United States exclusive fishing zone. This agreement was modified and extended by agreements of 31 January 1969 and 12 February 1971 for further periods of two years.
The Canada/United States Agreement signed on 24 April 1970 sets out reciprocal fishing privileges for designated species and areas over a period of two years.
57/ The Japan/United States King Crab Agreement of 25 November 1964, extended for a further two years on 29 November 1966, granted to Japanese nationals and fishing vessels the right to continue to engage in the king crab fishery in the eastern Bering Sea for the period ending 17 November 1968 in the waters which have been fished historically by Japan. This agreement was modified by further agreements of 23 December 1968 and 1 January 1971 and was extended for further two-year periods. The right to fish is subject to conditions relating to catch limits. Both governments reserve their positions with regard to the question of whether the king crab is a high sea fishery resource (the Japanese view) or is a natural resource of the continental shelf (the United States view).
The United States/USSR King Crab Agreement of 5 February 1965, extended for a further two years on 13 February 1967, recognizes that the king crab is a resource of the continental shelf. It provides that nationals and fishing vessels of the USSR may engage in the king crab fishery in a specified area of the Bering Sea for the period ending on 5 February 1969, subject to conditions relating to catch limits. This agreement was modified and further extended by agreements of 31 January 1969 and 12 February 1971 for additional periods of two years.
58/ In a Declaration of 10 May 1969, “the Governments of Brazil and Uruguay adopted the median line principle as delimiting the maritime boundary between the two countries.
59/ New legislation on the territorial sea and contiguous zones is under consideration.
60/ The Italy/Yugoslavia Agreement of 16 April 1969, which entered into force on 1 September 1969, authorizes, subject to specified conditions, fishing by Italian vessels in Yugoslav waters for a prood of three years.
61/ The Italy/Yugoslav Agreement of 8 January 1968 establishes the line of delimitation of the respective continental shelves.
1/ Certain states have made declarations or reservations when signing the conventions or depositing their instruments of ratification or accession.
Some states have made objections to these declarations and reservations. These are not referred to here.