ARREST WITHIN THREE MILES

Press, Volume CV, Issue 31000, 4 March 1966, Page 1

ARREST WITHIN THREE MILES

(From Our Own Reporter) WELLINGTON, March 3. The Government is likely to attempt arrest by the Navy of any further Japanese ships venturing blatantly into—or possibly even near—the three-mile territorial waters limit.

With the Japanese still preparing a case for the international court —one on which the Government has still not decided whether to make a joint approach—official Government reticence and embarrassment continues to prevail.

The Administration is still continuing to take heart from the fact that, with the exception of the “barrier incident," it has at least achieved a de facto limit of some six miles or more. If the still growing number of 30 to 40 nations row proclaiming 12 mile limits, either as exclusive fishir.g zones or as actual territorial waters, New Zealand is the only one not to have done so by treaty with other parties. Talks between the two protagonists at New Year failed to produce a mutually acceptable basis for a treaty. Because New Zealand remains confident enough that her action will eventually be recognised internationally, sue was not prepared to concede “tuditional" or “gradual witndrawal” rights to the Japanese.

But until international lega. issues can be resolved, authorities are expected to continue to note but dismiss minor breaches of the 12 mile exclusive fishing zone. Statements by Mr W. Jennings, president of the Auckland Fishermen’s Association, on his talks with the Minister of Marine (Mr Scott), have not been accepted. Mr Jennings is thought to have confused a reference by Mr Scott to the three-mile limit as one to the 12-mile limit. So far, the Navy has not Deen in a physical position to make an arrest. The patrol launch Manga tried to intercept the mother ship Nanayo Maru inside the three-mile mark off Great Barrier Island earlier this week but the poacher eluded her. No formal protest to the Japanese Government is now expected. Previous arrangements under which the Japanese had agreed to recall ships proved to have breached the three-mile limit have lapsed in the impasse over the new 12-mile limit.

Nevertheless, any future similar incident is expected to produce a determined attempt to make an example of intruders and prosecute them in a New Zealand court.