ABSTRACT
The need to better understand the offshore areas of the South Pacific may be economically cru cial for some of the island states and desirable for all but this is not the only reason for supporting marine research at this stage. Whatever benefits the new Law of the Sea Treaty may confer on coastal states, it also imposes responsibilities. These responsibilities require considerable knowledge of the offshore areas to permit domestic legislation to be drafted, patrol and surveillance regimes to be established, and fundamental baseline data to be developed for the enforcement of quality control regulations.
