The American Spectator

Doug Bandow’s “An Administration LOST at Sea” does a great job of outlining many of the shortcomings of the Law of the Sea Treaty. To his list, I’d like to add a few more that are often overlooked.

For one, the treaty requires all underwater vehicles to travel on the surface of the water to exercise the right of “innocent passage.” This is a radical departure from previous agreements which applied only to submarines. This represents a new security threat as it would mean that unmanned underwater vehicles used for mine detection would be required to surface, rendering these vehicles ineffective and making our ships more vulnerable to attack.

Second, the treaty contains provisions that — contrary to proponents claims — could harm the marine environment. It requires states that cannot harvest the entire allowable catch in certain areas to make the surplus available to other nations, especially developing nations. Since the treaty makes re-acquiring harvest rights difficult once surrendered to a developing nation, coastal nations may seek to use the entire catch by whatever means are necessary. This may contribute to damage of marine resources.

Third, the treaty has the potential of making oil and gas exploration more difficult, not easier, as its proponents have suggested. The treaty requires state parties to “prevent, reduce and control” pollution of the marine environment, including “through the atmosphere.” A by-product of burning oil and gas is CO2, CO2 is a greenhouse gas, and environmental activists argue that global warming is destroying the coral reefs, home to some of the ocean’s most biologically-diverse eco-systems. You do the math.

p>For these reasons, and those mentioned by Bandow, the Law of the Sea Treaty needs to be scuttled. br> — David Ridenour br> Vice President br> The National Center for Public Policy Research /p> p> SISTERLY ADVICE br> Re: Manon McKinnon’s What Has Come Over My Sister? :