N.Z. has reserved quotas for Japan

Press, 15 March 1978, Page 6

N.Z. has reserved quotas for Japan

PA Wellington New Zealand is holding in reserve most of the fisheries quotas in its 200-mile zone that it would like to allocate to Japan, says the Minister of Trade and Industry (Mr Adams-Schneider). But, he says, these cannot be held in reserve for very long. Mr Adams-Schneider, acting as Minister of Foreign Affairs and Overseas Trade while Mr Taiboys is in Australia, last evening spoke to the annual meeting of the Japan-New Zealand Businessmen’s Council. He said the next move over fishing rights was “very much for the Japanese Government to make,” but the New Zealand Government was not inflexible. Some observers described his address as placatory in tone after the hard-hitting speech of the Prime Minister (Mr Muldoon) at the weekend,. Mr Adams-Schneider denied Japanese press reports quoting Japanese officials as saying New Zealand had rejected proposals put forward by the former Minister of Agriculture, Mr Suzuki, during his visit to New Zealand last month.

“Although there has recently been some progress on the beef issue, taken as a whole, however, there was nothing in the Japanese proposals which could add up to satisfactory progress towards meeting New Zealand’s requests,” said Mr AdamsSchneider.

After his meeting with Mr Suzuki, Mr Taiboys had asked the New Zealand Ambassador in Japan (Mr R. M. Miller) to seek clarification on many points relating to the Japanese Government’s response to New Zealand’s requests. “The Ambassador has received clarification, but we regret to inform you that there is still nothing very visible in terms of increasing New Zealand’s opportunities to trade.” Mr AdamsSchneider said. “We have still not received an affirmative reply to any of our requests. Yet Japanese press reports continue to quote Japanese officials as saying substantive offers have been made to New Zealand. “As we see it, the Japanese Government’s response is more a repitition of the view that further discussions and exchanges of information. particularly on dairy products, without any commitment to action, should be sufficient to satisfy the New Zealand Government.” Mr Adams-Schneider said New Zealand had not asked that all its requests should be met overnight. “But we have asked the Japanese Government at least to show its willingness to move in the directions we are seeking—in other words, a clear commitment to set in train the process which would en-

able our requests to be met. “We have made it clear that we do not want the Japanese Government to take steps which would undermine the livelihood of the Japanese producer. We have asked merely for adjustments which would enable our exporters to help satisfy a demand which is being suppressed,” Mr Adams-Schneider said. Australia’s Deputy Prime Minister (Mr Anthony) has

left Canberra for trade talks in Tokyo, bluntly dissociating his country from t.n assertion by Mr Muldoon that Japan engaged in commercial imperialism in its approach to trade matters. “I do not think his remarks are relevant to my visit. Frcm Australia’s point of view, it is not an occasion to go and bluster and try to force Japan into various situations,” said Mr Anthony.