No Jurisdiction Over Fishing In Bream Bay

Northern Advocate, 27 November 1948, Page 5

No Jurisdiction Over Fishing In Bream Bay

OUTSIDE THREE-MILE LIMIT . . .

WELLINGTON, Sat. (Sp.)—A suggestion by Mr A. J. Murdoch (0 —Marsden) to the Minister of Marine during a discussion on the Marine Department’s estimates in the House of Representatives that he should be more severe in regard to seine netting in Bream Bay in order to preserve the breeding ground for fish, was met by a Ministerial assurance that the position is being closely watched.

The minister added that a line drawn to denote territorial waters brought the positions of those grounds outside the three mile limit where his department had no jurisdiction.

ed internationally.

However, from what he was informed of the sea bottom, seine netters would find their nets had litjle chance of surviving. The acting Prime Minister (Mr Nash) remarked that the question of territorial waters was being consider-

The United States limit went out 25 miles in places because there was what they called a land shelf. This suggested that there was no international limit.

This was due to the fact that they had found oil under the sea in the Gulf of Mexico, and the argument was that Australia and New Zealand, if they so desired, would have just as much right as America to explore for oil in that gulf.