Vol. 418 No. 4
89 Mr. Barry asked the Minister for the Marine if, in view of reports of overfishing of Canadian waters, he has been contacted by the Canadian authorities; and if he intends raising these concerns at the EC Council of Fishery Ministers.
The question at issue here is the regulation of fishing activity in international waters contiguous to Canadian waters. This responsibility is vested in the North Atlantic Fisheries Organisation of which the European Community, Canada and others are members.
There are unresolved differences of view between the Community and Canada about the appropriate level of fishing by Community vessels and the Canadian authorities take the view, which is not shared by the Community, that there is significant overfishing by Community vessels. Irish vessels do not participate in this fishery.
The Canadian Minister for Fisheries wrote to my predecessor in this matter late last year. I myself had a meeting with the Canadian Ambassador on the same subject on 27 February.
We have endeavoured at all times to play a constructive role within the Community framework (the matter was discussed at the EC Council of Fisheries Ministers meeting of 3 April) in the ongoing handling by the Community of this difficult issue, bearing in mind, however, that Irish vessels are not engaged in the fishery in question. This will continue to be our policy.
