THE EXCLUSIVE ECONOMIC ZONE AND THE UNITED-STATES INSULAR AREAS - A CASE FOR SHARED SOVEREIGNTY

The article analyzes the legal and practical effects of the 1983 Procl amation of the United States Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) and the Mag nuson Fishery Conservation and Management Act on the large EEZs surrou nding five insular areas of the United States: Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, American Samoa, Guam, and the Northern Mariana Islands. Appl ication of the Magnuson Act has impeded development and conservation o f insular fisheries. Insular governments oppose imposition of federal resource authority in the insular EEZ. Federal authority in the EEZ is limited by the proclamation and by federal and international law. Whi le the federal government has sovereign interests in the insular areas , insular citizens who are not vested with full political rights and e qual representation in the national government properly retain the pro prietary and beneficial interests in the resources of the insular EEZ. A model for sharing sovereignty in the insular EEZ is proposed.