§ LORD NUNBURNHOLME rose to ask His Majesty's Government what steps they proposed to take to protect British fishery interests in the waters of the Archangel district in view of the proposed Russian law to eliminate the three mile limit, extending the same to twelve miles.
§ The noble Lord said: My Lords, in putting this Question I desire to say that do not wish to place any difficulties in the way of His Majesty's Government. As your Lordships are aware, there is a three mile limit round the coast of all European countries inside which no one is allowed to fish unless he belongs to that particular country. A certain Russian subject has lately purchased one or two old English trawlers and wishes to have the whole of the Archangel district of the White Sea put under the proposed Russian law for him to fish in. This is quite contrary to the present law, and I hope His Majesty's Government will not allow the existing three mile limit to be extended. It has been in existence for many years, and upon it are based many naval and commercial international rights. Only last week a leading Russian newspaper asserted that territorial limits were merely limited by the gun fire of shore batteries. Under that assumption the French Republic and the British Government might equally claim to control the Straits of Dover, and I am sure it would lead to endless international difficulties if our Foreign Office allowed to go through this proposal 86 extending the three mile limit to twelve miles. We do not stand alone in this matter; it affects other nations, but it affects this country perhaps more than any other, as the waters round our coast are comparatively shallow for a good way out whereas round the coasts of Norway, Iceland, Denmark, and Russia the waters become deep almost immediately, so that if they were allowed to extend the three mile limit to twelve miles it would practically preclude any foreigner from fishing in their fishing ground at all. Then there is another difficulty. It is very hard for any fisherman, or, indeed, any naval officer, to say, especially in hazy weather, whether or not a vessel is within the twelve mile limit, and there would be great probability of many squabbles in the Law Courts on this point. I hope His Majesty's Government will stand firm for international and British rights in this particular case. I beg to put the Question that stands in my name.
§ *VISCOUNT MORLEY OF BLACKBURNMy Lords, I am glad my noble friend has not extended and amplified the various issues that might easily have been raised upon this point. I would only say this about the three mile limit. Those who arc well acquainted with the various views that have been taken by various nations of the sacro-sanctity of the three mile limit are aware that though the principle has always been firmly upheld by His Majesty's Government other Governments have occasionally put forward claims opposed to it. My noble friend said he hoped His Majesty's Government would stand firm in vindication of the rights and interests of British fishermen. I think there is no question whatever of the firm resolution of His Majesty's Government not to give way in that respect; and perhaps the shortest way of convincing your Lordships that that is so will be for me to state exactly what has happened.
We have been informed by the noble Lord that the reason for the introduction of the Bill by the Russian Government is that they probably want to foster their own trawling industry, which is at present in its infancy. They also wish to prevent the continued destruction of what are called worse seal, and bear I am not enough of a naturalist to be able to define what those creatures are—along the northern coast by Norwegian fishermen. 87 Last summer the Russian authorities arrested the British trawler "Onward Ho!" off the north coast for illegal trawling outside the three mile limit—they considered it illegal. In consequence of representations made by His Majesty's Government as to the capture having been made on the high seas, the Russian Government had to release the vessel, and His Majesty's Government have handed in a claim for compensation. It was probably this case that lead the Russian Government to take such steps as in their opinion would vindicate their position, and they accordingly introduced a Bill to regulate trawling on the northern coast without any further delay. British trawlers only fish for plaice, it appears, and we are assured by the secretary of the National Sea Fisheries Protection Association that they never have any reason for going within the three mile limit, except, of course when compelled by the state of the weather.
For several years past His Majesty's Government have contributed to the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea, which is studying the state and nature of the fisheries of the North Sea. This body have not yet completed their investigations, but the work they are at present engaged upon is explained on p. 141 of the North Sea Fisheries Blue Book [Cd. 5022]. As the House well knows from the many discussions on this subject which have taken place during the last ten or twelve years, it is not merely fishery interests that are concerned. There are, too, broad and very important national interests. In time of war those interests might be of the most serious kind, and before, therefore, we could agree to an international convention providing for the national control of fisheries and spawning grounds beyond the present three mile limit these investigations must be brought, if not to a close, to a further stage. My noble friend may be quite sure that we are protesting, and that we shall protest, if necessary, again. This very morning a telegram was received from the Ambassador at St. Petersburg giving the latest views of the Russian Government in reply to our protest. That telegram has, of course, not yet been considered, but my noble friend and your Lordships may feel quite assured that we are alive to all the considerations that are involved in this new departure, and that we shall 88 certainly defend every right and every interest., whether narrow or broad, which is involved in the matter.