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OFTHESEA?
cal structure of the powerful
seabed mining authority still have
not been agreed upon.
Breakdown of this conference
could fi nally d rown the hope that
nat ions can ever resolve their soar–
ing international problems by a
common rule of law.
The d isputed draft of the Law of
the Sea Convention is unprece–
dented in scope and power. Once in
force it would significantly al ter
world economic and poli t ical pat–
terns as we know them.
lt
is time you became aware of
sorne of the more important parts
of the controversia! U.N. Conven–
tion:
• A 12-mile limit of territorial
sovereignty over seas from coast–
lines.
• 200-mile economic zone where
coastal nations have exclusive
rights to fishing a nd mi neral
exploitation, or licensing others to
do so. (Sorne nearby landlocked
nations may also have sorne r ights
in this zone.) Coastal nations aJso
control marine resources on contin-
uations of continental shelves
beyond 200 miles.
• Regulations on scientific ma–
r ine research in other nations' eco–
nomic zones.
• Compulsory arbit ration of d is–
putes between nations by a Law of
the Sea Tribunal.
• An l nternational Seabed Au–
thority ( ISA) with power to tax
prívate ocean-bed mining consor–
t iums, to license, to consigo mining
arcas, to limit seabed production to
protect land-based producers and
d ispense profits from its own min–
ing operations to developing na–
tions.
lt
was hoped the fi naJ draft of
this unprecedented t reaty would be
ready for signing by participan ts at
the Law of t he Sea Conference
scheduled in New York C ity for
March of t his year.
But early last year the United
States government suddenly de–
cided to review the whole package
of negotiations. Several key U.S.
negotiators were fired . Law of the
Sea conferees were shocked.
The newly installed Reagan
administration found the authority
of the ISA and regulations limit–
ing seabed product ion especially
objectionable to free-enterpr ise
miners. They also considered the
Seabed A u thority dangerous to
U.S. national security interests.
(The Republican Party platform
be fore the e lect ions in 1980
objected to the Law of the Sea
(Continued on page /4)
EXPERIMENTAL DEEP·SEA TECHNOL–
OGY
(left to right): Naval experimental
msnned observstory (NEMO) s/lows
divers to descend many fathoms and
observe in al/ directions; one of first suc–
cessful mining ships, the Glomar Explor–
e r;
two-man transparent hulled submersi–
ble Makakai on pontoons; technicians
adjust a grab ssmpler; a deep·sea cam–
era on tripod hsuled up, chsrting nodule
concentrstions snd precision navigation
over nodules by television, a sample of
the " black gold" nodules in hsnd.
Lelt three photos by Fl/p Schulke
Al/
others by ChriatophtK Springmann