Korea-N.Z. fishing mooted

Press, Volume CXVI, Issue 34132, 20 April 1976, Page 18

Korea-N.Z. fishing mooted

Staff Crspdt) SEOUL, April 19. The Prime Minister (Mr Muldoon) said in Seoul tonight that there were “quite exciting possibilities” of joint fishing ventures with South Korea in New Zealand waters once the 200-mile limit proposal was settled at the Law of the Sea Conference. But he said it would have to be done on the basis that New Zealand got some real benefit from the use of its resources. The Prime Minister was speaking to New Zealand journalists after a meeting with the South Korean Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economic Planning (Dr Nam Duck Woo). Mr Muldoon raised the possibility of joint fishing ventures in discussions on economic co-operation between the two countries. Dr Nam said South Korea, which has concentrated its South Pacific fishing activities round the Cook Islands,

was facing increasing restrictions, and he hoped there could be co-operation between New Zealand and South Korea. Mr Muldoon told journalists that once his Government saw what came out of the Law of the Sea Conference it would have to decide, through the Cabinet economic committee, what this meant in terms of the New Zealand economy and take or invite initiatives to do something about it. "If we have a 200-mile zone we won’t be looking to just sit on it. We’ll be looking to exploit it.” he said. This would have to be done in conjunction with other countries with a history of offshore fishing, because the New Zealand fishing industry would not be able V* exploit a 200-mile zone, at least in the short term. Mr Muldoon said the fishing resources off the New Zealand coast were very valuable by world standards. 'The fishing activities of other countries indicate that.” Mr Muldoon told Dr Nam, who was South Korea’s

• Finance Minister for five i years, that he saw no diffi- ; ■ cutties about getting GovemI ment approval for the proposed jointly-owned pulp I factory near Ohakune, and he > thought it was only a matter iof time before it got the i go-ahead. i The New Zealand firm, : Winstone, Ltd, and Korean : interests have already ! agreed on the project and the I Government is awaiting an > environmental-impact report. Mr Muldoon said the mill ; would be “way out in the > wilderness” and should not . present any difficulties from an environmental point of . view. i . “It’s most unlikely that i there will be any hold-up at . the New Zealand Government . end,” he said. > Mr Muldoon said the . jointly-owned mill, which would sell 70 per cent of its output on the Korean mar- . ket, fell clearly within the < Government’s criteria for r overseas investment and was . related specifically to the proi vision of a long-term market. > Winstone will be the biggest single shareholder. The mill would use tftnber • from the Korioi State Forest. Replying to a question, Mr Muldoon said he thought New Zealand should be mounting a greater trade effort with the South Koreans. “Korea has a developing economy which is about to take off,” he said.

But he said, in answer to another question, that he did not think it was necessary for New Zealand to have a resident ambassador or trade commissioner in Seoul at this stage. The New Zealand Ambassador to Japan (Mr T. Larkin) and the senior New Zealand trade commissioner in Tokyo (Mr A. Monaghan) are both accredited to Seoul. Mr Muldoon said he did not think the Koreans resented this and he thought Seoul could probably be better serviced from the bigger resources of the New Zealand Embassy in Tokyo. New Zealand has a charge d’affairs and a second secretary in Seoul. Mr Muldoon has no official programme scheduled for today apart from a dinner given for him tonight by the South Korean Prime Minister (Mr Choi Kyu Hah). He has known Dr Nam since 1967 and had arranged to meet him and get a briefing on the South Korean economy. The Prime Minister later had a talk with the British Defence Secretary (Mr Mason) who is in Seoul on a three-day visit during which he will visit Korean frontline units and the United Nations command headquarters. Tomorrow Mr Muldoon will have talks with President Park Chung Hee and the Prime Minister.