FISHERY DISPUTE

Press, Volume CXII, Issue 32975, 22 July 1972, Page 15

FISHERY DISPUTE

Icelaml will ignore court

(N.Z. P.A.-Reuter—Copyright) REYKJAVIK, July 21. The Icelandic Prime Minister (Mr Johannesson) has reiterated Iceland’s belief that the World Court, at The Hague, has no jurisdiction over the British-Icelandic fishing-limits dispute. He had been asked to comment on Britain’s action this < week in asking the World Court to suggest an interim solution to the dispute, pending a definite solution. Britain has already appealed to the World Court for a final settlement of the over-all dispute and Iceland has rejected the standing of the World Court in the dispute. Iceland is to extend its fishing limits from 12 to 50 nautical miles on September 1; Britain says that this will violate international law. “No world limits” “The fact is that there is no international rule in this matter which is either conventional or customary,” he said.

Special United Nations conferences had tried to formulate rules on the matter but had not succeeded, and as many as 20 countries had territorial limits of 200 miles. Because no nation in the world was so dependent on fishing as was Iceland, it should be entitled to the widest possible limits, said Mr Johannesson. Also, Icelanders were taking measures to stop the depletion of fish stocks. He said that British and German trawler owners were being short-sighted in conservation measures. He said there was no connection between Iceland’s decision and its wish that American defence forces should leave their airport base on the island.