United States Interest
The United States has never recognized the construction and continuous occupation of a lighthouse since 1832 by the United Kingdom, and now Canada, to determine the island's ownership, citing several cases worldwide (e.g., a case concerning the Red Sea). However, the United States has never maintained an ongoing presence on the island as Canada has, and until recent decades, many branches of the Federal and State of Maine governments were inconsistent in their communications: they sometimes have referred to Machias Seal Island as being owned by Canada.
In 1918, with Canadian agreement, a small detachment of Marines was placed on the island following the U.S. entry into the First World War, as a means to assist in protecting the territory and its key lighthouse guarding the entrance to the Bay of Fundy from German U-boat attack. These forces were withdrawn after several months, and no U.S. presence has been re-established since. In the past, private citizens in Maine have staked ownership claims of the island, and currently an American tour boat operator from Cutler brings tourists to view seabirds during the summer nesting season, although the number of visitors are limited during sensitive periods for birds.
Read more about this topic: Machias Seal Island
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