Vol. 207 No. 1
asked the Minister for External Affairs whether the Irish delegation at the European Fisheries Conference have made any proposals to the conference with regard to the extension of fishery limits, and, if so, what proposals; and if the delegation have supported any proposals made by other countries at the conference, and, if so, what proposals.
49.
asked the Minister for External Affairs if he will make a statement clarifying this country's position in relation to its territorial waters, resultant on the recent fishery conference in London.
With your permission, a Cheann Comhairle, I propose to take Questions Nos. 48 and 49 together.
As the Deputies are aware, a conference on fisheries problems in Europe was convened in London in last December. The Conference adjourned on December 6th and reconvened on 8th January. Meetings were held until 17th January when the Conference adjourned again until 26th February next.
Ireland was represented at the Conference as were 15 other States and also the Commission of the European Economic Community.
The Conference drew up a draft Convention providing a new fisheries régime for European countries the principles of which were approved by most of the Delegations at the Conference. The draft Convention provides that the coastal State shall have the exclusive right of fishing in a six mile zone drawn from base lines, or the coast where no base lines exist, subject to a short transitional period as regards the outer three miles of the zone to enable foreign fishermen to adapt themselves to their exclusion from this zone. In a further six miles fishermen of countries which have traditionally fished in that area would continue to do so but they would be subject to powers of regulation and enforcement by the coastal state on a non-discriminatory basis.
The details of the draft Convention are still incomplete in some respects and I do not wish to elaborate further until the Conference has concluded.
The Minister, therefore, is not in a position to say whether or not his representatives at this Conference were prepared to support a six miles or twelve miles limit?
Our attitude has been stated in the House many times. The Deputy knows well what our attitude generally is on this matter.
I know what our attitude is. Our attitude is that we want to see an extension, but does this agreement provide for six miles or twelve miles limits?
We want the widest possible extension with international agreement. That has been our attitude always.
It is important to get what you can.
That is what we are trying to do.
What does the Minister think, then?
I do not want to go into it until the end of the Conference.
We have only one corvette to protect the limits we have.
