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Other considerations include land-locked nations and the polar regions. Under the Law of the Sea Treaty, "land-locked States have the right of access to and from the sea and enjoy freedom of transit through the territory of transit States \[and\]... have the right to participate on an equitable basis in exploitation of an appropriate part of the surplus of the living resources of the EEZ's of coastal States of the same region or sub-region." This would not change under our proposed treaty.

Works Cited

Borger, J. (2001, March 29). Bush Kills Global Warming Treaty. The Guardian Unlimited: http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2001/mar/29/globalwarming.usnews.

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Doerr, J. (2006, September 3). California's Global-Warming Solution. Time Magazine: http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1531324,00.html.

Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative: An Initiative of the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic States of the U.S. Retrieved November 16, 2007, from web site: http://www.rggi.org/index.htm.

EarthNet's "DriftNetwork" Program. International Law Governing Driftnet Fishing on the High Seas. Retrieved 16 November 2007, from the World Wide Web: http://www.earthtrust.org/dnpaper/intllaw.html.

The Whaling Solution

We, as the Terrascope Mission 2011 group, recognize the need to protect whales from the threat of extinction and exploitation. Thus, we endorse the IWC zero catch limit moratorium until sufficient research has proved that whale populations have reached a stable, sustainable level. The catch limits set for approved aboriginal communities should be kept in addition to existing whale sanctuaries. We also endorse the trading regulations set by CITES to prevent the import and export of endangered and threatened cetacean species.

We also recognize the need for scientific research to gain more information about whale populations. However, we advocate means of gathering data that do not involve the lethal killing of whales; other methods, such as tagging and sighting, would be preferred. Should lethal means are inevitable, a limit as to how many whales can be used should be set. Thus, we propose that all proposals involving lethal research must be approved by the Scientific Committee set up by the IWC, which would follow the guidelines issued by the Commission. The rate of usage during such research should not exceed the growth rate of the whale population; in the case that the growth rate of the population is not yet known, the number of whales used should not exceed 5% of the current population size (growth rates for whale populations have found between 3% and 12%) (IWC, 2007a). Article VIII of the 1946 IWC Convention must be amended to allow this change (IWC, 2007b).Works Cited

International Whaling Commission. (2007). Scientific Permits. Retrieved November 19, 2007, from http://www.iwcoffice.org/conservation/permits.htm.

International Whaling Commission. (2007). Whale Population Estimates. Retrieved November 19, 2007, from http://www.iwcoffice.org/conservation/estimate.htm.

Cooperation Between Developed States and Developing States

One of the most essential challenges facing developing states is the transition from a fish-dominated economy and diet to a less fish-dependent one. After all, for many of these developing states, the cheapest way to acquire protein and generate income is to fish their oceans - fish is free, regenerates without human effort, and comes at no cost to the harvester (no farming, plowing, or planning required). Thus, developing states often do not have incentives or reasons of why they should alter their economy. This is where assistance from developed states should come in.

Under Part XII, Section 3, Articles 202 and 203 require that "States shall, directly or through competent international organizations which could include the RFB councils we have recommended: promote programmes of scientific, educational, technical and other assistance to developing States for the protection and preservation of the marine environment and the prevention, reduction and control of marine pollution. Such assistance shall include... training of their scientific and technical personnel; facilitating their participation in relevant international programmes; supplying them with necessary equipment and facilities; enhancing their capacity to manufacture such equipment; advice on and developing facilities for research, monitoring, educational and other programmes... States shall also give developing nations preferrential treatment for the allocation of appropriate funds and technical assistance; and the utilization of their specialized services" (Division, 1984).

of the UN Law of the Sea Developed nations should provide incentives for developing states to shift to more environmentally-sound aquaculture practices and fishing methods. In particular, financial assistance, technical education, and sharing of mutual scientific research are especially called for. The visit of scientific experts qualified in the areas of environmental conservation to developing countries should be sponsored. Moreover, joint ventures between the developing and the developed nations with the aim of creating mutual benefit through environmental conservation (for example: creating marine reserves or assisting with marine tourism in the target country) should be encouraged as a method of cooperation (Agenda 21). Also, developing nations and developed nations may work together in marine research, with developing nations supplying the labor and local knowledge of conducting the scientific experiments and the developed nations providing the experts in guiding and designing the experiments. Eventually, the technology can also shift over so that local experts will be trained and the developing nations will be able to generate research capabilities on their own. This creates revenue and promotes environmentalism amongst the bloc of developing nations.

A point which is emphasized in many current plans and treaties, including our own, is the importance of cooperation between developed countries with the funds with developing countries which need capital to develop sustainable fisheries. Our plan is to create an investment system in which developed countries can make a loan which will be paid back as interest over a long period of time.
Developing countries which have a desire to effect sustainable fishery management, yet lack the solvency to enact such legislation, but still recognize the long term economic benefit of creating a sustainable fishery (i.e. prevention of fishery collapse) may accept money from developed countries. These developed countries should recognize that the benefits of a sustainable fishery in these developing countries is beneficial to their economy as well, as the resource is shared; this is the main motivation for the loan. However, our plan differs from a regular ?donation? for this type of action in and of that it does include a form of monetary re-imbursement for the developed country, which should be more palatable to fiscal conservatives opposed to welfare-esque donations to less developed countries.

Works Cited

United Nations Division for Sustainable Development. (2004). Agenda 21, Chapter 34. Retrieved November 21, 2007, from http://www.un.org/esa/sustdev/documents/agenda21/english/agenda21chapter34.htm.

International Whaling Commission. (2007). Scientific Permits. Retrieved November 19, 2007, from http://www.iwcoffice.org/conservation/permits.htm.

International Whaling Commission. (2007). Whale Population Estimates. Retrieved November 19, 2007, from http://www.iwcoffice.org/conservation/estimate.htm.

Borger, J. (2001, March 29). Bush Kills Global Warming Treaty. The Guardian Unlimited: http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2001/mar/29/globalwarming.usnews.

Cornwall, W. (2007, October 29). Seattle Meets Kyoto Global-Warming Targets. The Seattle Times: http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2003982047_webkyoto29m.html.

Doerr, J. (2006, September 3). California's Global-Warming Solution. Time Magazine: http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1531324,00.html.

Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative: An Initiative of the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic States of the U.S. Retrieved November 16, 2007, from web site: http://www.rggi.org/index.htm.

EarthNet's "DriftNetwork" Program. International Law Governing Driftnet Fishing on the High Seas. Retrieved 16 November 2007, from the World Wide Web: http://www.earthtrust.org/dnpaper/intllaw.html.

Division of Ocean Affairs and the Law of the Sea. (10 December 1984). United Nations Convention on The Law of the Sea. Retrieved 12 November 2007, from http://www.un.org/Depts/los/convention_agreements/convention_overview_convention.htmImage Added.