§ Major Wallasked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs what action has been taken about the further renewal of the Anglo-Soviet Fisheries Agreement, 1930, which is due to expire at midnight 5th July.
§ Mr. TurtonUnder the terms of the Anglo-Soviet Temporary Fisheries Agreement of 22nd May, 1930, British trawlers were enabled to fish up to three miles off the Northern Russian coast as far as longitude 48° East, despite the fact that the Soviet Government claims a 12-mile limit of territorial waters.
No term was fixed for the duration of the Agreement and it ran on until 5th January, 1953, when the Soviet Government invoked the clause enabling it to give six months notice of termination. After representations from Her Majesty's Government, the Soviet Government agreed to an extension for one year from 6th July, 1953, and again for a further year from 6th July, 1954.
However, on 24th June, 1955, the Soviet Government notified Her Majesty's Ambassador at Moscow that it could not renew the Agreement for a further period, but was willing
to begin negotiations on the possibility of concluding a new Agreement.The termination of the Fisheries Agreement by the Soviet Government is 89W much regretted by Her Majesty's Government. Further representations have now been made to the Soviet Government that the Temporary Agreement should be allowed to run on during the proposed negotiations, which Her Majesty's Government have suggested should begin during this month.