§ 30. Mr. Hector Hughesasked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs if he will give details of the efforts made on and since 6th April at the Second United Nations Conference on the Law, of the Sea now sitting at Geneva to bring about a compromise agreement on distant water fishing and territorial waters acceptable to the United Kingdom, the United States of America, Canada and the other States represented there; if he will indicate in detail what obstacles to agreement now remain; and to what extent agreement has so far been reached between the nations involved.
§ Mr. R. AllanThe United States and Canadian proposals to which I referred last week have been withdrawn and a new joint proposal substituted. This provides for a six-mile territorial sea plus a further six-mile contiguous fishing zone in which fishing States with historic rights would be allowed to continue to fish for ten years. We have supported this proposal.
In addition, there are six other proposals before the Conference.
§ Mr. HughesIs the Minister aware that the Icelandic delegate has rejected the American-Canadian compromise, on the scientific ground that it would prejudice the spawning grounds and thereby damage the fishing interests of all nations concerned? Will he tell us 1246 what is the scientific answer to that, and whether that scientific answer has been put forward at Geneva? What are the prospects of getting an agreement which is satisfactory to all the nations concerned?
§ Mr. AllanAs these negotiations are now in a very tricky stage, it would be as well for me not to anticipate. We believe that the plan most likely to succeed is that which we have supported.