asked the Minister for External Affairs the reasons why implementation of the new extended fishery limits agreement has been deferred until 1966; and whether he will take steps to implement this agreement at an earlier date.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Fishery Limits Agreement.
31.
Implementation of the new fishery agreement has not been deferred until 1966.
It will enter into force if and when it is ratified or approved by eight signatory Governments. There is also a Protocol of Provisional Application which enables the Convention to be brought into provisional application as between Governments signing the Protocol.
Under the Convention, the fishermen of certain countries who have habitually fished in the three to six mile belt will be permitted to continue fishing in that area until the 31st December, 1965 on the parts of our coast where no straight baselines have been drawn, and until the 31st December, 1966 where straight baselines have been drawn.
As the Convention states, the purpose of this provision is to allow foreign fishermen to adapt themselves to their exclusion from that belt. It has been our frequently expressed wish in this field that we should proceed by way of international agreement and it was clear from the negotiations that without such a provision agreement would not have been reached.
Could the Minister indicate what nations are concerned in this privilege as recognised traditional fishing nations ?
Belgium, France, the Federal Republic of Germany, the Netherlands, Spain and Great Britain.
Is it not in the agreement that these nations should have been fishing here for ten years in order to be recognised as traditional fishing nations ?
These are the nations that we recognise as traditional fishing nations.
For ten years?
For ten years, yes.
Would the Minister not agree that the Germans and the Dutch have not been traditionally fishing here for ten years ?
No. We can only take the advice of the Department of Fisheries and they recognise these as traditional fishermen off our coasts.