FRESS STAT-I-NT O. 43
24 January 1973
STATEMENT BY THE PRIME M. INISTER OF AUSTIALIA, i
iTIITLAI, IND TIE CHIEF MIIISTEiR OF PLPUA I. Z. GUIIT2EA,
ILMR. SOMl2E
PAPUA IT] 7 GUIiEA FISHIG . IGHTS GULF OF CAIIPEHITARIA
The Australian Prino Minister, iMr. TJhitlam, and the
Chief Iinister of Papua New Guinea, ir. Somare, today issued
the following statement concerning their discussions in
Canberra on 17 January 1973.
The Chief Minister had raised with Iinisters of the
previous Australian Government the question of the rights of
the Papua Iew Guinea Government to legislate on its omw behalf
on fisheries matters, -le had also discussed arrangements for
the management of the f isheries resources in the waters between
Australia and PaDua HTew Guinea. On that occasion Ministers had
agreed that both countries must benefit from joint management
arrangements and mutual co-operation in the exploitation and
conservation of the fisheries resources of the seas which lay
between them. At that time Miinisters also agreed to the following
arrangements: delegation of licensing powers to the P. I. G. Government
subject to agreement on interim arrangements to apply
after the delegation of licensing powers and until the
transfer of complete powers;
S work to be commenced on the preparation of separate
fisheries legislation for Papua Hew Guinea. Review
of the amendments currently proposed to the Commonwealth
Fisheries Act with a view to exclusion of Papua New
Guinea from the provisions of the Act;
conclusion of interim arrangements to be set down in an
exchange of letters between the two governments,
The Papua Neu Guinea Government had then as ked that the
interim arrangements include the following provisions:
Papua Hew Guinea to license an appropriate number of
prawn catcher and carrier vessels to fish in all
proclaimed waters outside the Declared Fisheries Sone;
and agreement by all Papua TeTr Guinea vessels licensed under
above to comply with Australian conservation and
management measures as applied to other Australian
vessels licensed under the Commonwealth Fisheries Act.
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SFollowing those discussions the Chief M1inister had now
raised with the Prime Miinister the question of rights of access
for Papua iTew Guinea fishing vessels into the Gulf of Carpentaria,
and claimed that under present administrative arrangements Papua
Hev Guinea vessels were being denied access to international
waters because the restrictive provisions of the Commonwealth
Fisheries Act continued to be applied against the interests of
Papua IHTo Guinea.
The Prime Minister has agreed that there appeared to be
an anomally in the situation, and that Australia had a trusteeship
responsibility to promote the economic viability of Papua ilew
Guinea by providing reasonable assistance to Papua HIew Guinea
industries, and saw grounds for a change of Australian policy
to allow additional access to the Gulf of Carpentaria for an
agreed number of Papua eow Guinea fishing vessels. The Chief
Minister suggested that Papua Iew Guinea be granted the right
to license twelve Papua Hew Guinea vessels to operate in the
Gulf of Carpentaria from the commenconent of the 1973 prawning
season. The Prime'Minister agreed that that would be an
appropriate number, and arrangements are being made to put
this decision into effect.
The Prime Minister and the Chief Minister agreed that
Papua Nev Guinea fishing vessels operating in the Gulf of
Carpentaria would remain in international waters outside the
Australian Declared Fishing Zone ( 12 miles offshore) and would
observe conservation and management measures as applied to
other vessels licensed under the Australian Fisheries Act.
. CAIi7Za~. 1. C. T.