§ 27. Mr. Hector Hughesasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, in view of the results of the recent Conference on the Law of the Sea at Geneva, if he will make a comprehensive statement of the subjects discussed and decisions reached relating to the conservation of fish stocks in the waters usually and traditionally fished by British fishing fleets.
§ Mr. GodberMy right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs explained in reply to my hon. Friend the Member for South Angus (Sir J. Duncan) on 12th May that a White Paper on the Conference is being prepared. In the meantime, I have had placed in the Library a copy of the text of the Convention on Fishing and Conservation of the Living Resources of the High Seas which the Conference adopted. This text is now before Governments for their acceptance.
§ Mr. HughesDoes the hon. Gentleman agree that the conservation of fisheries in the North Sea is a very urgent matter and that proper and full consideration of 880 it was largely frustrated by the fact that the Conference contained a number of representatives from non-maritime nations which knew nothing about the conservation of fisheries in the North Sea? Will the hon. Gentleman take steps to rectify this glaring wrong?
§ Mr. GodberI am afraid I cannot undertake to rectify the glaring wrong of the composition of a conference which has already taken place; but I accept the hon. Gentleman's point and these matters are being considered carefully by the Governments concerned.