[Tarantulas]

IIRC, in the mid-70s the US changed its claims frmo 50 miles to 200 miles, since Russian trawlers were scooping up all the good fish that we wanted for ourselves.

[Einigkeit_Recht_Freiheit]

Thanks for the info - interesting resume.

[Avenger]

The EEC (economic exclusion zone) is 200 miles out. Basically a nation has control over the economic resources of this area but cannot control the free passage of vessels (whether military or civillian) within in region. Indeed, foriegn nations are completely in their right to carry out military exercises (including live fire) in this region - though it might be poor form under some circumstances. Territorial waters on the otherhand extend some 20 miles out I believe and a nation has pretty much complete power within this zone. China is trying to argue that their EEC is actual their territorial waters and they have absolute power over this area which of course completely makes the distinction, in the International Law of the Sea, between the EEC and territorial water completely meaningless. Some of you may recall the downing of a U.S. recon plane early in the summer of 2001 by some yahoo Chinese pilot. This U.S. aircraft was flying in the EEC but not in Chinese territorial waters.