ABSTRACT
This introduction presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book outlines the basic problems that had to be examined in order to reach an understanding with respect to the new institution and the positions of the principal parties involved in the negotiation. It provides an accurate account of the nature and main characteristics of the compromise that was negotiated. The book offers an explanation of the different regimes referred to and of their essential, components, facilitating understanding of the compromises that have intervened in the case of fishing. All Latin American writers agree that the Exclusive Economic Zone has its roots in the national claims asserted by countries of the region during the late 1940s; the first of these was the Chilean proclamation in 1947, which was followed by other similar instruments and by multilateral agreements dating from 1952.
