BELGIUM: CANADA AND E.U SHOW NO SIGNS IN BACKING DOWN IN DISPUTE OVER FISHING RIGHTS IN NORTH ATLANTIC.

Record ID: 639809

  • Title: BELGIUM: CANADA AND E.U SHOW NO SIGNS IN BACKING DOWN IN DISPUTE OVER FISHING RIGHTS IN NORTH ATLANTIC.
  • Date: 10th March 1995
  • Summary: BRUSSELS, BELGIUM (MARCH 10, 1995) (RTV - AVAILABLE ALL) 1. LV/SV EXT. OF CANADIAN EMBASSY/FLAGS FLYING (3 SHOTS) 0.09 2. SV CANADIAN AMBASSADOR TO EUROPEAN UNION (EU) JACQUES ROY POINTING ON MAP (4 SHOTS) 0.34 3. SV ROY SPEAKING (ENGLISH) 0.52 4. SV REPORTERS LISTENING (2 SHOTS) 1.01 5. LV EXTERIORS OF SPANISH EMBASSY/FLAG FLYING (2 SHOTS) 1.09 6. SV SPANISH AMBASSADOR TO THE EU JAVIER ELORZA SPEAKING TO REPORTER. 1.13 7. SV ELORZA SPEAKING ABOUT POSSIBLE RETALIATORY MEASURES INCLUDING SUSPENDING SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH AGREEMENTS, SUSPENSION OF MEETINGS AND NEGOTIATIONS WITH CANADA (ENGLISH)/SV ELORZA AND REPORTER (2 SHOTS) 2.13 8. SV REPORTERS. 2.18 9. SV EU SPOKESMAN JOAO VALE DE ALMEIDA TALKING TO REPORTERS 2.21 10. SV ALMEIDA SPEAKING (ENGLISH) 2.34 SEQ.3: TRANSCRIPT;ROY : "GIVEN THE TOTAL DISREGARD OF CONSERVATION PRINCIPLES BY PORTUGUESE AND ESPECIALLY WITH SPANISH VESSELS, WE ARRESTED A SPANISH VESSEL ON MARCH 9. WE HAVE NO QUARREL WITH CREW BUT HAVE WITH ONE WITH SHIP OWNERS AND THEY WILL BE CHARGED." SEQ.10: TRANSCRIPT; ALMEIDA: "THE EU HAS ALWAYS REACTED VERY CLEARLY TO ANY VIOLATIONS OF INTERNATIONAL LAW." Initials Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved.
  • Embargoed: 25th March 1995 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: BRUSSELS, BELGIUM
  • City:
  • Country: Belgium
  • Reuters ID: LVA4IOANTBYDBXH3LDV61XLEZD42
  • Story Text: Canada and the European Union (EU) showed no signs of backing down on Friday (March 10) in their increasingly bitter dispute over fishing rights in the North Atlantic.

    Canada's Ambassador to the EU, Jacques Roy, said his country would continue to enforce its fishing laws and he rejected calls to release a Spanish fishing vessel seized on Thursday in international waters.

    Spain's Ambassador to the EU Javier Elorza told Reuters Television that the EU was considering a range of measures in retaliation, including the suspension of meetings and negotiations.

    He said a scientific research agreement had already been suspended.

    Spain has already despatched a naval warship to support its fishermen operating near Canadian waters.

    The dispute between Canada and the EU flared on Thursday when Canadian ships chased and fired on a Spanish trawler. The Estai was boarded about 18 miles (30km) outside Canada's 200 mile (322 km) territorial limit. It was being sailed to St John's in Newfoundland, Canada, where it was expected to arrive on Sunday.

    EU spokesman Joao Vale de Almeida said the organisation was considering its response, but warned that Canada would be held responsible for the dispute.

    Canada justified the action outside its legal territorial limits, saying it was trying to conserve threatened stocks of one of the last commercial species in the region, Greenland halibut.

    The seizure is part of a long-running argument that erupted after the EU last month rejected its share of a 27,000-tonne quota for 1995 fixed last month by the 15-member Northwest Atlantic Fisheries Organisation (NAFO) and instead set itself a much higher limit.

    The EU fleet of Spanish and Portuguese vessels has already exceeded its NAFO quota of 3,400 tonnes.


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