Bolger warns of fishing-tie risks

Press, 30 September 1988, Page 6

Bolger warns of fishing-tie risks

By

OLIVER RIDDELL

in Wellington

New Zealand has been warned by the Leader of the Opposition, Mr Bolger, against having fisheries servicing ties with the Soviet Union.

The Prime Minister, Mr Lange, announced on September 22 that the Government and the Soviet Union were discussing a bilateral agreement to cover the servicing of Soviet fishing vessels in New Zealand. The next day the United States Ambassador, Mr Paul Cleveland, warned New Zealand that the Soviet Union should not be under-estimated. Mr Bolger said yesterday that there were not enough benefits in such an agreement for New Zealand to warrant the risks of having it. But the agreement Mr Bolger warned against is similar to an agreement the United States already has with the Soviet Union, the Comprehensive Fisheries Agreement signed on May 31 this year. It will run for five years and allows both countries to set up joint fishing endeavours in their exclusive economic zones. Part two of the agreement allows both parties “to enter ports to buy baits

and supplies, to outfit, to effect repairs and to change crews.” Each country designates four ports for these activities; in the United States there is one on the eastern seaboard (Boston) and three on the western seaboard (Portland, Astoria and Dutch Harbour). Crew changes in the United States are made by Aeroflot, which is given special landing rights at designated airports. The agreement is similar to the discussions between the Soviet Union and New Zealand. Mr Lange said the sort of facilities envisaged under the agreement included bunkering, provedoring, maintenance and servicing of vessels, annual survey and the change of crew by air. This -would represent a change of heart by the Government in allowing Aeroflot landing rights at a New Zealand airport — probably only one. It has the support Of the Associate Minister of Jus-

tice, Mr Woollaston, and represents the culmination of a number of approaches by the Soviet Union in recent years. Mr Woollaston said that if Soviet fishing interests felt they had to use Aeroflot he would support its having landing rights if that led to local firms getting business. The Soviet Union has made an approach to Australia similar to the one made to New Zealand and to the agreement reached with the United States. It is being considered by the Australian Government. An agreement with-New Zealand would cover only deep-sea Soviet vessels in the South Pacific and Antarctic; its coastal fishing vessels are already serviced here. Giving Aeroflot landing rights was a very serious and worrying suggestion, Mr Bolger said yesterday. National wanted the fishing industry to provide jobs for New Zealand and was opposed to any agreement which acknowledged

long-term fishing access for large foreign fleets. “There are not enough benefits to make the risk of letting in Aeroflot and having huge Soviet fleets here worth it,” he said. It was worrying, and symptomatic, that Mr Lange could meet the Soviet Foreign Minister, Mr Shevardnadze, while at the United Nations but not meet the American Secretary of State, Mr Shultz, as a consequence of his Government’s policies. In view of this and doubts over whether New Zealand was going to buy frigates from Australia, Mr Bolger said Mr Lange had to be asked what his Government’s future intentions on foreign policy were. “We don’t want the continued and substantial Soviet presence in our fisheries that these discussions imply,” he said. The next National Government would review any such agreement reached.