asked the Minister for External Affairs if he will consider the advisability of negotiating with Britain to secure a reciprocal agreement for the extension of fishing limits so as to ensure a continuity of supply of fish in these waters pending further international agreement.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Extension of Fishing Limits.
23.
As the Deputy will be aware from my replies to earlier questions, I have been giving the subject matter of his question close and continuous attention since the international conference held in Geneva last April failed to reach agreement on the question of the territorial sea and fishery limits. The next international conference on the law of the sea has been fixed for the spring of 1960 and will afford an opportunity of dealing with the matter on a multilateral basis.
An interim reciprocal agreement between Great Britain and ourselves for the extension of our fishery limits would not provide a satisfactory solution to the problem. Vessels of many nationalities fish off our coast and if, as we think desirable, an extension is to be achieved by agreement it would be necessary for us to negotiate bilateral agreements with all the countries whose vessels fish off our coasts or around the coasts of which Irish vessels fish.
However, the whole matter is under constant review in my Department, and the Deputy can rest assured that I will do everything possible to secure a satisfactory solution as quickly as possible.
I appreciate what the Minister has said, but does he realise that another fishing season will have come and gone by the time of the next international conference? The object of the question is to suggest that it could be adopted as a temporary expedient to protect our fisheries, pending a final agreement.
I hope the Deputy will understand that it might be possible to arrive at an agreement with one country in a short time, but to have this bilateral basis with other countries which traditionally fish off our coast would take a long time to negotiate.
No doubt the Minister has noticed that an agreement has recently been concluded between the Faroe Islands and Denmark and the Icelandic Government, and surely we are in a position——
This is becoming a debate rather than a question.
Do I gather from the Minister's reply that it is not now proposed to proceed with the legislation which he contemplated some months ago?
Oh, yes; that is, the straight baselines.
Might I ask the Minister, if a basis for a temporary bilateral agreement has been found between the Faroese administration and the Icelandic Government, why does he consider it unthinkable that that example might be followed as between ourselves and Great Britain, pending the multilateral agreement which would come from the conference?
It is not unthinkable, if it could be done quickly, but the Deputy will understand that there are several countries who traditionally fish off our coasts. It would not be a practical proposition to come to a bilateral agreement with only one of these countries. We must make it with all these countries on a bilateral basis. I had hopes that we could have had a multilateral international agreement before the spring of 1960. Deputy Cosgrave asked a question about pending legislation. I shall be introducing legislation before very long to deal with the straight baselines which will add very considerably to the fishing areas which we control at present and which should give some relief to fishermen around the coast.