TRAWLING BY JAPANESE

Press, Volume XCIX, Issue 29268, 28 July 1960, Page 16

TRAWLING BY JAPANESE

Discussion In House (From Our Parliamentary Reporter] WELLINGTON, July 27. Japanese fishing vessels operating outside New Zealand territorial limits, but in the Chatham Islands area, had already succeeded in virtually eliminating Australia as a market for New Zealand fish, said Mr N. E. Kirk (Government, Lyttelton) during discussion in the House of Representatives this afternoon. Mr Kirk was referring ’to answers by the Minister of Marine (Mr Fox) to written questions by Mr J. K. McAlpine (Opposition, Selwyn) and Mr E. P. Aderman (Opposition, New Plymouth). Mr McAlpine asked Mr Fox if he would open negotiations with the Japanese Government to obtain a conservation agreement. “The Government is watching the position closely, having regard to the principles established in the 1958 convention on the law of the sea, at which New Zealand was represented,” said Mr Fox. “The Government is not aware that any agreement relating to the conservation of swimming fish has been concluded between the Australian and Japanese Governments. The only agreement of which the Government is aware relates to pearl fisheries, and this was concluded after the Australian claim to sovereign rights over the seabed and subsoil of the continental shelf contiguous to Australia. “The first United Nations conference 'on the law of the sea expressly established that rights over the resources of the continental shelf do not extend to the fish swimming in the waters above the shelf.” Mr Kirk said that when flying back from the Chatham Islands he passed over five Japanese trawlers on their way to or from the fishing grounds. Though they were outside the three-mile limit, they were taking fish which had previously been taken by New Zealand vessels and were getting it on to the Australian market. “Our own internal fish market is capable of a great deal of expansion,” said Mr Kirk. “In Wellington today there are large quantities of fish in private freezers. If this was disposed of. the price might fall, but there would be a market for more fish to be caught."