asked the Minister for External Affairs if in view of the failure to reach agreement on fishery limits at the recent international conference he will now take steps to extend the present three-mile limit to ten miles, and make provision for the adequate protection of the territorial waters of the State.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Fishery Limits.
9.
As the Deputy is aware, the U.S.-Canadian resolution failed by only one vote to obtain the required two-thirds majority. The Irish delegation and fifty-three others supported the resolution and twenty-eight voted against it. This voting shows great progress towards agreement on the question of territorial seas and the exclusive fishery limits since the Conference of 1958.
In view of the progress that has been made, I feel we should not despair of securing a reasonable and generally acceptable solution. Indeed, since the Conference concluded last week, various suggestions have been made for a further effort to secure agreement, such as the summoning of a new conference and the making of an international agreement between the countries who voted for the U.S.-Canadian resolution.
I can assure the Deputy that we are following developments very closely, as it is of the utmost importance not only for Irish fishery interests but for the growth of the rule of law that the difficulties in fixing territorial and fishery limits should be resolved on the basis of agreement. Consequently, I think we should be slow to take unilateral action to extend our exclusive fishery limits, and that it would be unwise to do so immediately.
Much as we regret the outcome of the result of the Geneva Conference, the voting clearly shows that the great majority of nations wish to settle the vexed question of territorial seas and exclusive fisheries by the general adoption of an international rule, and it is the intention of the Government to continue to co-operate in searching for such an agreement.
Is there a possibility that in the near future a further conference will be summoned to endeavour to settle this very vexed question? As the Minister must be aware, the poaching along our shores is ruining our fishing industry, and it is because of it that fish is very scarce here. Even the fishermen themselves are becoming scarce because they cannot make a livelihood.
The Deputy knows that is not a question; it is a speech.
I would ask the Minister to do all in his power to expedite the convening of a further conference with these nations.
Can the Minister or the Government take the initiative in having this conference convened in the immediate future?
All I can say at the moment is we are very anxious that an agreement should be reached as quickly as possible, and every step that is open to us we are taking. I am not in a position to say now whether there will be another conference or whether there will be an attempt to have a multilateral agreement between the countries in favour of drawing fishery and territorial limits in accordance with the U.S.-Candadian resolution, but everything we can do to forward the agreement we are doing.
All I want to get clear is: who convenes the conference? Could the Irish Government take the initiative in having it convened?
If it is a reconvening of the full conference held in Geneva, it would be the United Nations.
Were the Chinese at that and how did they vote?
There are some people who do not like to be stupid without showing it.
There is one person who always shows it and that is the Minister for External Affairs. I thought the Minister would use his great influence with the Chinese.