Canada and the New International Law of the Sea

This is the last of three volumes dealing with the International Legal Environment (see list in back of book), included in the Collected Research Studies of the Royal Commission on the Economic Union and Development Prospects for Canada.

The Third United Nations Conference on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS 3) culminated in the adopted of the United Nations convention on the law of the sea in 1982. Since then 150 countries, including Canada, have signed this historic treaty. It affects Canada’s four major ocean industries: fishing, offshore petroleum, shipping and ocean mining. As Canada contemplates ratification of this agreement, it must consider these as well as several other maritime matters, including transit management, offshore development, marine-technology development and ocean-science policy. This volume delineates the issues and their implications for Canada’s future at sea, and recommends the establishment of an independent advisory body to ensure serious and comprehensive treatment of maritime concerns.