Bruce in Alaska wrote:
the REAL Law of
the Sea is, "He who has the Biggest Guns present, decides what the Law
is at that moment in time".

I remenber back a decade or two the US and Canada were having a dispute
over Pacific Red Salmon Fishing. The Canadians decided to charge US
Flagged Fishing Vessels, transiting the Inside Passage between Washington
and Alaska a "Transit Tax", and stated that they would enforce the
collection of said "Tax" with Armed Canadian Coast Guard Vessels.

What a load of BS. Canadian Coast Guard vessels are not armed. They
tend buoys and do SAR. They have nothing to do with enforcing sovereignty.

This would have been contrary to Ratified Treaties between the two
Countries. This so incensed the two Senators from Washington State
that "Scoop Jackson" stated on the Floor of the Senate, that if
the Canadian Government did actuall act in this manner, the US
would respond by convoying it's transiting Fishing Vessels and
escort them with a Destroyers from Bremerton Navy Yard, and if a
Candaian Coast Guard Vessel poiked it's bow over the horizion,
the Destroyer would sink that ship, faster than the blink of an eye.

Some two bit Senator said that and the US Navy would jump? BS.
American warships aren't allowed to transit the Inside Passage without
diplomatic clearances, just like we can't go down into Puget Sound
without dip clearances. To do otherwise is an act of aggression.

That threat, ended any talk of "Armed Canadian Coast Guard Vessels", and
the US reimbused the collected "Tax" from fisherman, untill the
Canadians stopped collecting it and repaid the US Government for
ALL funds collected.

Like many Americans, you write your own history. As I recall the
problem was the disputed area between Canada and Alaska and the fact
that US flagged fishing boats over fishing in the disputed area. Canada
said that unless quotas were adhered to then US boats could no longer
transit the Inside Passage (Canadian waters) between the lower 48 and
Alaska. Of course we came to an amicable agreement without threats,
although the border is still disputed.

See:
http://www.craigmarlatt.com/canada/c..._disputes.html
For our disputed borders.

"He who has the Biggest Guns present, decides what the Law
is at that moment in time"

Bruce in alaska

Gaz in Canada