Understanding the Necessity of 200-Mile Fishing Limit

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Copes in his article discusses a 200-mile fishing limit, which was meant to protect interests of coastal fishing nations whose survival and well-being was dependent on the fishing operations at their shores. There are two several reasons why 200-mile fishing limit had to take place. It is believed that coastal nations are greatly affected by other distant water fishing nations, which send large fleets to fish in their areas and, therefore, deplete those areas of fish. Copes proposes that there are mainly two reasons why extended jurisdiction has to take place. The main idea is that coastal nations have the right to have proper access to fish in their waters, where fish won’t be depleted because of others’ use. Besides that, implementation of …show more content…

Neighbour country fishermen often fish in the same rich of fish areas, as it is within the limit of both of these countries. Because of that, depletion may happen much faster in these areas. Copes gives an example of North American coastal fishing, where American and Canadian fishermen share the fishing zone. Fishing has been regulated there by International Pacific Halibut Commission through introduction of seasonal closure and gear regulation. Moreover, he talks about the problem of precise boundaries, as Canada and US have slightly different ideas on where their boundaries should end. Canada is sharing Fundy Channel with US by the equidistance principle. It means that the boundary goes on equal distance from the land of each country. Yet on the East side, US claims that boundary should be reflected by the underwater geographical feature, which would give the Georges Bank to the US. By the same principle Canada would get the Fundy Channel. Copes mentions that keeping “equidistance” principle is in Canada’s favour, as the area on the East is more valuable than the one on the West as, besides being rich in fish stocks, it also has some oil potential (Cope 6, 7, 8, …show more content…

He believes that many coastal states in the future are going to reduce imports and increase exports of fish due to the effects of the 200 mile limit. As an example, he describes a trading situation, where Canada’s ground fish export of fish to the USA would be decreased. Lots of US’s groundfish stocks would not be caught by foreign fleets and, therefore, would be shared domestically. Moreover, he mentioned that, even though new changes are going to come in place and new markets may develop, there is a good chance that they won’t be as profitable, as the ones with the US (Cope 17,

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