U.S. MARITIME BOUNDARIES

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP82S00697R000400160018-0
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: C
• Document Page Count: 3
• Document Creation Date: December 12, 2016
• Document Release Date: July 16, 2002
• Sequence Number: 18
• Publication Date: November 3, 1976
• Content Type: TELEGRAM

REPRODUCTION !V OTHER THAN
ISSUING OFFICE IN PROH119ITED
FM SECSTATE WASHDC
TO ALL DIPLOMATIC POSTS PRIORITY
INFO RUEHOTD/AMCONSUL TORONTO PRIORITY 3157
RUEHMT,AMCONSUL MONTREAL PRIORITY 5813
RUEHOTF/AMCONSUL VANCOUVER PRIGR ITY 1657
BT
Q _O N F I D E N T I A L STATE 27 2 40
652: GDS
PB OR , P LOS
SU BJ EC T : U. S . S9 A P IT IME BO UN DA R I E
STATE MESSAGE
1, SUMMARY: ON NOVEMBE `3; 1976, THE USG WILL ANNOUNCE THE
LATERAL LIMITS OF ITS FISHERY CONSERVATION ZONE AND
CONTINENTAL SHELF IN BOUNDARY AREAS WITH CANADA. USG
ACTION HAS BEEN PREC IP ITATED BY CANADIAN PUBLICATION ON
NOVEMBER 1 OF ITS LIMITS WITH THE U.S. THE TWO ANN(UNCE-
MENTS CREATE AREAS OF OVERLAPPING CLAIMS,IPARTICULA~.LY
I N THE IMPORTANT GEORGES BANK FISHING AREA I N THE GULF OF
MA INE . THE PURPOSE OF USG ANNOUNCEMENT IS T O PROTECT ITS
RIGHTS AND THOSE OF ITS NATIONALS IN THE AREAS OF OVER-
LAPPING CLAIMS. THE USG ANNOUNCEMENT IS NOT INTENDED TO
INDICATE THE MANNER IN WHICH THE USG WILL HANDLE MARITIME
BQLNDARIES WITH OTHER NEIGHBORS, NOR DOES IT DESCRIBE THE
OUTER LIMIT OF THE FISHERY CONSERVATION ZONE. F0LLOWI Na
ANNOUNCEMENT AT NOON NOVEMBER 3, INFORMATION IN PARAS, 2-3
MAY BE TREATED AS UNCLASSIFIED FOR USE ON CONTINGENCY BASIS
IN ANSWERING GOVERN^IENT, PRESS OR OTHER INQUIRIES. END
SUMMAR Y.
2, USG AND CANADA HAVE FOR PAST YEAR BEEN EMBARKED ON
LEGAL DISCUSSIONS AND NEGOTIATIONS CONCERNING OUR FOUR
LATERAL MARITIME BOONDARIES: IN THE GULF OF MAINE AREA,
IN THE BEAUFORT SEA IN THE ARCTIC, IN DIXON ENTRANCE
BETWEEN ALASKA AND BRITISH COLUMBIA, AND OFF THE STRAIT
OF JUAN DE FUCA BETWEEN WASH INGTON,STATE AND ALASKA.
WHILE SOME PROGRESS HAS BEEN MADE, I T HAS NOT BEEN
POSSIBLE TO RESOLVE THE MAIN ISSUES, PARTICULARLY TH:
ISSUE OF JURISDICTION OVER THE NORTHERN ONE-THIRD OF
GEORGES BANK IN THE GULF OF MAINE AREA, BEFORE THE CIVERN-
MENT OF CANADA FOUND ITSELF LEGAL.Y REQUIRED TO PUBL "SH
C 0 N F - D E N T I A L
State Dept. deAMBifio lealm$@dPMMn4ti(MA FiIRS00697R000400160018-0
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CABLE BEC DISSam my - ez
PERSON/UNIT NOTIFIED-%
_
ADVANCE COPY ISSUED/SLOTTED
ACTION UNIT
STATE MESSAGE
35 0232 3 El A796 PAGE E+2
TOR:0301.342 NOV 76
THE EXTENT OF I T S FISHERY ZONE. BECAUSE O F THE CANADIAN
PUBLICATION OF AN EQUIDISTANT LINE ACROSS GEORGES BANK,
AND OTHER LINES WHICH DIFFER FROM U.S. CLAIMED JURIS-
DICTION, THE USG HAS DETERMINED THAT IT IS OBLIGED IN
ORDER TO PROTECT ITS LEGAL RIGHTS AND THE RIGHTS OF ITS
NATIONALS, TO PUT ITS CLAIM TO ALL OF GEORGES BANK (BASED
ON NATURAL PROLONGATION AND SPECIAL CIRCUMSTANCES
INCLUDING CONCAVITY OF THE COAST AND COASTAL PROPORTION-
ALITY) AND ITS CLAIMED OTHER MARITIME BOUNDARIES WITH
CANADA ON THE PUBLIC RECORD AT THIS TIME.
39 AS T FFSE JUR IS DI CT IONAL ASSERT IONS COULD COMPL IC ATE
THE JOINT EFFORT T 0 FIND A MUTUALLY ACCEPTABLE SOLUTION,
THE TWO GOVERNMENTS ARE TAKING MEASURES TO ASSURE TEAT
THE ASSERTION OF JURISDICTION IN THESE AREAS UNDER
NE GO TI AT ION DOES. NUT PREJUDICE THE CONTINUING NEGOTIATION
OF A PERMANENT SOLUTION, BOTH GOVERNMENTS ARE COMMITTED
TO CONTINUE ACTIVE AND SERIOUS NEGOTIATIONS ON MARITIME
BOUNDARIES AND ARE NEGOTIATING INTERIM FISHERIES ARFANGE-
MENTS,
4, FOR MOSCOW AND NASSAU: THE ANNOUNCEMENT OF THE UNITED
STATES FISHERY ZONE AND SHELF BOUNDARIES WITH CANADA DOES
NOT REFLECT ANY USG INTENTION UNILATERALLY TO PROCLAIM
MARITIME BOUNDARY WITH HOST COUNTRY. CANADA, HOW-
EVER, HAD LEGAL REQUIREMENT TO PUBLISH BOUNDARY 60 DAYS
IN ADVANCE OF JANUARY 1 EFFECTIVE DATE OF ITS FISHERY
ZONE AND THAT PUBLICATION CONFLICTED W ITHiU.S. BOU NIJARY
POSITION. ACCORDINGLY, USG BELIEVED IT NECESSARY TC PUT
ITS POSI TI ON ON RECORD.
5, FOR MEXICO CITY: TODAY'S ACTION IN RESPECT OF CANADA
HAS NO BEARING ON MARITIME BOUNDARIES BETWEEN US AN[
MEXICO. DEPARTMENT AND MEXICAN FOREIGN MINISTRY OFF IC IALS
HAVE BEEN IN TOUCH WITH VIEW TOWARD EXPEDITING AGREEMENT
ON TEXTS OF NOTES TO BE EXCHANGED ON MARITIME BOUNDARIES,
USG DOES NOT INTEND TO MAKE PUBLIC POSITION ON MARITIME
BOUNDARIES WITH MEXICO BEFORE SUCH EXCHANGE OF NOTES ,
6, FOR NASSAU: RECENT CABLES FROM EMBASSY HAVE BEEN VERY
HELPFUL IN FOCUSING DEPARTMENT ATTENTION ON US-BAHAN IAN
MARITIME BOUNDARY ISSJES, GOB SHOULD BE ASSURED THAT USG
WILL NOT PUBLISH COORDINATES OF ITS BOUNDARIES WITH THE
BA 1AMAS UNTIL SUCH TIME AS AN EFFORT 4 AS BEEN MADE 'TO
C 0 N F D EE TT
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PERSON/UNIT NOTIFIED-
T 350203 EI A796
C 0 N F I D E N T I A L
PAGE 03-03
TOR :0,301342 NOV 76
RESOLVE THIS MATTER ON A MUTUALLY COOPERATIVE B A S I S . FYI-
DEPARTMENT I S AC-I VELY STUDY IN G US BOUNDARY PO SI TI ON AND
WILL ADVISE YOU OF OUR INITIAL THINKING AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.
-END FYI.
7. FOR MOSCOW: FYI-DEPARTMENT IS BEGINNING DETAILED
CONSIDERATION O F BOUNDARY ISSUES WITH USSR WHICH MIGHT
ARISE IN CONNECTION WITH A F ISHFRY AGREEMENT WITH SOVIETS,
DEPARTMENT REALIZES IT I S DIFFICULT To COMMENT WIT FC UT
BACKGROUND BUT WOULD APPRECIATE ANY EMBASSY VIEWS ON
SOVIET THINK ING ON US-SOVIET MAR IT IME BOUNDARIES.-END Fy
I,
ROBINSON
REPRODUCTION ^Y OTHER THAP
ISSUING OFFICE IE PROHIBITrfi
STATE MESSAGE
NC 43729
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