“Technical, in situ, observations d

“Technical, in situ, observations demonstrate that the normal habitat or stable presence of living resources that constitute the biological complex of the Peruvian seas at times extend to a distance approximating 200 miles, whereas the maximum expanse of the underwater shelf does not exceed sixty or seventy miles; in such circums ances, an effective protection of the complex canot be exercised with due vigilance and rigour anywhere other than on the wate s superjacent to the shelf.’’
In addition to which, the 200-mile distance also covers the imperative of assuring the fishing needs of coastal populations and, tangentially, provides the fish indispensable to the feeding of guano-producing birds, which, ir. Turn, are a source of national wealth.