Vanuatu approves fishing deal

Press, 20 December 1986, Page 12

Vanuatu approves fishing deal

NZPA-AAP Vila The Vanuatu Cabinet has approved the draft of a fishing access agreement with the Soviet Union, the Prime Minister, Father Walter Lini, announced yesterday. A brief press release from the Prime Minister’s office in Vila gave no details of the proposed agreement. It said there would be no further disclosures until after the agreement had been signed. The agreement was drafted after two rounds of talks in Sydney between officials of the Vanuatu Government and of the Soviet Embassy in

Canberra. Diplomatic sources in Canberra said yesterday the agreement, estimated to be worth about sAustl.s million ($1.92 million), was understood to include port access for Soviet tuna boats. Earlier this week, a statement from Father Lini said the agreement “could” include port access and the right for the Soviet airline, Aeroflot, to land replacement crews at Vila’s Bauerfield Airport.

The Soviet Union’s one previous fishing-rights agreement with a South Pacific country, Kiribati, excluded landing rights

for the Soviet fishermen. The 16 Soviet tuna boats had to return to their Asian port of Vladivostok — more than 6200 km — for fresh crews.

Vanuatu is another 2100 km south of Kiribati.

The Soviet Union paid Kiribati sAust2.4 million under the one-year agreement, which lapsed after the two countries failed to agree on a reduced fee for fewer boats.

Western countries, including the United States and Australia, have voiced concern about Vanuatu granting port facilities to the Soviets, which they say could be of strategic importance.

Australia’s Foreign Minister, Bill Hayden, warned recently that if Vanuatu went ahead with the deal it risked “erosion of its political base” by the Russians. It could also be the first step to dangerous superpower rivalry in the region, he said.

Father Lini has defended his country’s right to deal with whichever countries it pleases, and this week called Australia paranoid and paternalistic for objecting. He pointed out that Australia, the United States and New Zealand all have trade relations with the Soviet Union.