The Transformation of Appropriation Conflict in the Gulf of the St. Lawrence.
The aim of this article is to investigate the way the marine sea space has gradually been appropriated by man throughout history, with specific reference to the Gulf of St. Lawrence. The evolutionary basin of the Amerindian people, the theatre of English and French rivalries as well as an international halieutic cohabitation space, the Gulf of St. Lawrence became a test of Canada’s resolve during the latter years of the 20th century to eject foreign fishing fleets from its adjacent marine waters. This action is now virtually at an end. Issues directly related to the Gulf have been reshaped in two ways. The discovery of hydrocarbon deposits paves the way for potential economic diversification. The result is that this new situation not only eliminates the international slant of litigation but also challenges the complexity of institutional relations under Canadian federalism – between Ottawa and the provinces adjacent to the Gulf on the one hand and these same provinces on the other.