‘Cod war’ flares again

Press, Volume CXIV, Issue 33706, 2 December 1974, Page 17

‘Cod war’ flares again

(N.Z.P. A.-Reuter —Copyright) BONN, December 1.

The West GermanyIceland “cod war” has flared again. West German ports have banned all Icelandic fish landings, in reprisal for the seizure of a West German trawler off Iceland.

The Mayor of Bremen, the hub of the West German fishing industry, announced the ban after the West German Government had promised to. retaliate against Iceland’s “act of modem piracy” in seizing the Bremerhaven I trawler Arcturus last Monday. The ban was retaliation! against an Icelandic court! decision on Thursday to fine the trawler’s skipper SNZ96BO for alleged illegal fishing, he, said. It would remain in force until a satisfactory compromise: was reached in the dispute , over Iceland’s unilateral extension of its fishing limits from 12 to 50 miles. Icelandic vessels land an average 90,000 tons of fish a year at West German ports. The “cod war” first flared in the late 1960 s when Britain and West Germany disputed Iceland’s new limits.

This led to numerous in-i cidents involving Icelandic i gunboats and British and West German trawlers. 1 Britain and Iceland reached an interim agreement last I November on fishing regula-

tions within the 50-mile zone. But West Germany still refuses to recognise the extended limits.