asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if his attention has been drawn to the report of the proceedings of the House of Commons of 22nd January, 1975, to the effect that Rockall generates its own fishing limits like any other part of United Kingdom territory; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Rockall Fishing Limits.
11.
A statement was made by the Lord Advocate for Scotland on the date mentioned by the Deputy that Rockall generates its own fishing limits like any other part of the United Kingdom. It was made in the course of a reply to a question whether the Lord Advocate intended to pay an official visit to Rockall. The Government do not accept that the British Government is entitled to make or enforce any prohibition on fishing in the seas about Rockall and have so indicated.
In the light of the Parliamentary Secretary's statement that the Government do not accept the right of the British Government as indicated by him, may I ask him what steps our Government are taking in connection with this reiterated claim by Britain?
In the first instance, the House, perhaps, ought to know that no effort has been made to enforce these claimed fishery limits against our fishing ships and, secondly, that the whole question of maritime jurisdiction is under consideration by the Conference on the Law of the Sea. It is regrettable that the British Government should have sought to anticipate the conclusions of that conference.
While I agree with the Parliamentary Secretary that it is regrettable that the British should have sought to anticipate the agreements of that conference, nevertheless since they have done so does the Minister intend to take any steps to counteract the reiterated claim of Britain in this regard?
The Government's interest, of course, is immediately centred round Rockall but the Government do not accept in general that islands as such necessarily generate a jurisdiction in the way that ordinary land does and the Government have pursued that point of view by their representation at the Law of the Sea Conference last year by sending the Attorney General in person there. The conference ended inconclusively but the Government have pressed that point of view and have tried to recruit support for it and I think I can tell the House there is some support for it. The Conference on the Law of the Sea will reconvene next month and I hope that when it does the Government's point of view will be successfully pursued.
Would the Parliamentary Secretary agree that a specific rebuttal of this implied claim might be made?
A specific rebuttal was made by the Minister's Department on 17th October, 1973. The British Government formally informed the Department of their intention to enforce a prohibition of fishing around Rockall and a couple of weeks later the Department sent a short note back saying that the Government did not accept that the British Government were entitled to make or enforce any prohibition on fishing in those seas. Apart from a rejoinder which reiterated the essence of the first note that is the situation so far as a formal exchange has got. The Government did in the words of the Leader of the Opposition, specifically rebut the claim when it was made.
I am referring to the reply made on 22nd January in the British House of Commons. Was there a specific rebuttal made of that implied claim?
No, but it is not considered that a specific rebuttal of a claim which is part of a parliamentary reply in the British House of Commons requires to be made. The Government's position has been made perfectly clear and the Government's general position in regard to maritime jurisdictions is being vigorously pursued.