asked the Minister for External Affairs if Canada, a member of the Commonwealth, was represented at the recent Law of the Sea Conference in London; and, if so, whether Canada has agreed to the limits suggested by England and the other countries.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Fishery Limits Agreement.
14.
The answer to the first part of the Deputy's question is in the negative. I have no information regarding the second part of the question.
15.
asked the Minister for External Affairs if he will consult all persons connected with the fishing industry, and obtain their views on the proposed agreement on territorial waters limits.
I think it must be obvious that all who are interested in our fishing industry will heartily welcome the power to extend our exclusive fishery limits which is provided by the London agreement. This agreement must be ratified by seven other signatory countries before it comes into operation and I think there would be bitter resentment at any steps taken here which might discourage the other signatory States from ratifying it at once and so enable us to extend our limits immediately with the goodwill of all our European neighbours.
I feel sure that all who have been agitating for so long for the extension of our existing fishing limits would regard it as an insult if, as the Deputy suggests, they were to be asked, now that agreement has been successfully negotiated, whether they had really meant what they had been saying over so many years.