200-mile zone declaration ‘before end of year’ — Mr Muldoon

Press, 18 March 1977, Page 3

200-mile zone declaration ‘before end of year’ — Mr Muldoon

NZPA Canberra New Zealand will declare a 200-mile economic zone before the end of the year — either unilaterally, or through the forthcoming Law of the Sea conference.

This was announced in Canberra yesterday by the Prime Minister (Mr Muldoon) after talks with the Australian Foreign Minister (Mr Andrew Peacock). Mr Muldoon said that Australia was not as advanced as New Zealand in its preparations for implementing the zone, and he said that he had offered Mr Peacock a copy of the draft bill being prepared

for the New Zealand Parliament. There would be advantages in all South Pacific countries’ moving towards the adoption of a 200-mile zone at the same time, Mr Muldoon said. “We have agreed we will co-operate in surveillance and policing,” he said. Most of the Pacific Island States were concerned about the movement of tuna schools through their waters iat certain times of the year.

Mr Muldoon said that once legislation was passed, it would only require an order-in-council to implement the zone.

Papua New Guinea nad already passed legislation, and the United States had declared a 200-mile zone around its South Pacific territories. New Zealand, he said,

would declare the zone by the end of the year, either unilaterally or through the Law of the Sea conference, which will be held at the United Nations in May.

Mr Peacock indicated in his review of Australian foreign policy earlier this week that the Australian Government would soon have to make a decision on a 200-mile zone, but that it would not be before the Law of the Sea conference. Mr Muldoon said his talks with Mr Peacock had covered a wide range of foreign affairs matters. On relations with the United States, Mr Muldoon said a major worry was that the new Administration of President Carter might not be as concerned initially with the South Pacific as the previous Administration. “We have reason to be-

lieve that it is looking to Japan on one side and Europe on the other,” he said. Mr Muldoon was given a seat on the floor of the House of Representatives when the Australian Parliament sat yesterday. He was seated in the Speaker’s gallery on the Government side of the House when the Parliamentary session began. The Speaker (Mr Snedden) announced his presence, and suggested that he be provided with a seat on the floor of the House. Members stood as Mr Muldoon was conducted by the Sergeant-at-Arms to a seat between the Speaker’s chair and the Government front bench.

Mr Muldoon’s pending arrival was given prominence in morning newspapers, and

a feature article in the “Bulletin” magazine helped make Australians aware of the visit.

A press conference at Sydney Airport ensured that the arrival did not go unnoticed. There had been some doubts whether the Australian Prime Minister would be able to meet Mr Muldoon on his arrival at Canberra’s Fairbairn airbase, but the tall figure of Mr Fraser was on the tarmac when the aircraft pulled up. A cavalcade of cars, headed by two motorcycle outriders, carried Mr Muldoon and his party to their hotel. Mr Muldoon and Mrs Muldoon were the dinner guests of the New Zealand High Commissioner in Australia (Mr Laurie Francis) on Wednesday evening. Mr Peacock was also present.