UNCLOS replaces the older 'freedom of the seas' concept, dating from the 17th century: national rights were limited to a specified belt of water extending from a nation's coastlines, usually 3nmi (Three-mile limit), according to the 'cannon shot' rule developed by the Dutch jurist Cornelius van Bynkershoek [REF].
In the early 20th century, some nations expressed their desire to extend national claims: to include mineral resources, to protect fish stocks, and to provide the means to enforce pollution controls.