Office of the Historian

386. Memorandum From Helmut Sonnenfeldt of the National Security Council Staff to the President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs (Kissinger)1 2

Washington, January 14, 1971.

SUBJECT:

  • Canadian Fisheries Zones

On our memorandum of December 21 on this subject (Tab A), you made a note asking which interagency committee will be following up on this matter and to what end. The Law of the Sea Task Force, chaired by State Legal Advisor Stevenson, will be discussing it in relation to the forthcoming Law of the Sea Conference in 1973. They will also be watching for Canadian application of anti-pollution regulations to the new fishing zones—expected in the next few months.

Anti-pollution regulations already exist for the St. Lawrence River. The application to the Gulf of St. Lawrence of similar regulations would not adversely affect our shipping on the Great Lakes. However, if applied to the new fishing zones, such regulations could affect our fishing boats and other vessels. There is also a legal ambiguity regarding the bilateral agreement cited by the Canadian government in exempting U.S. fishing vessels from the new zones. The Task Force will be watching these questions. It may consider a further protest if Canadian anti-pollution regulations are enacted and applied to the zones, which include international waters.

  1. Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, Box 670, Country Files, Europe, Canada, Volume II, Mar 70-Aug 71. Confidential. Sent for information. Tab A is published as Document 384.↩
  2. Sonnenfeldt updated Kissinger on the response by the Law of the Sea Task Force to the Canadian announcement establishing fisheries closing lines.↩