Vol. 383 No. 9
asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs, in view of the continuing threat to fishing vessels off the coast of Ireland from submarines of all nations, if his Department has taken steps to ensure that underwater naval manoeuvres are not carried out within Ireland's fishery limits.
57.
asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the action he is taking to prevent damage to trawlers and their equipment by the activities of submerged submarines in the Irish Sea; and if he will raise the matter through the Maritime Safety Organisation.
I propose to take Questions Nos. 23 and 57 together.
Ireland's fishery limits extend to a 200 mile zone around the coast, an area governed by the Common Fisheries Policy.
Ireland's national control over foreign vessels however ends at the 12 mile limit of our territorial waters. Within these limits foreign vessels are entitled to exercise the rights of innocent passage. All submarines must identify themselves and travel on the surface when exercising these rights.
Beyond our territorial waters are international waters to which all nations have free access under international law. It would not be realistic to expect that nations would voluntarily surrender their rights in international waters.
However, the Government has taken action in relation to the safety of Irish vessels at sea, and particularly in the seas surrounding Ireland, which has been a matter of particular concern. An initiative which we sponsored at the International Maritime Organization (IMO) aimed at focusing attention on the problems posed to fishermen by submarine traffic, resulted in the unanimous adoption by the General Assembly of the IMO of a resolution entitled Avoidance by Submerged Submarines Of Fishing Vessels and Their Fishing Gear. It is our hope that this Resolution will make a significant contribution to the avoidance of incidents involving surface vessels and submerged submarines at sea.
