asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if the Government have ratified or propose to ratify agreements passed at conventions in Washington, Geneva and London in 1959, 1964 and 1967, respectively, regarding the harmful effects of over-fishing.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Fishing Agreements Ratification.
29.
Ireland has ratified the North-East Atlantic Fisheries Convention signed in London in 1959 and the Fisheries Convention drawn up at London in 1964. Ireland has signed but not ratified a Convention on Fishing and Conservation of Living Resources of the High Seas drawn up at Geneva in 1958 and the Convention on Conduct of Fishing Operations in the North Atlantic drawn up in London in 1967. Ireland has not signed a convention dealing with fishing in the North-West Atlantic drawn up in Washington in 1949 as we do not fish in that area.
The Government do not at the moment propose to ratify the two agreements mentioned which we have signed but not ratified. The forthcoming 3rd UN Conference on the Law of the Sea, to be held at Caracas, Venezuela, from 20th June to the 29th August this year is expected to examine the whole question of fisheries conservation, and previous conventions on the matter are expected to be superseded.