They’re talking Law of

the Sea in Suva . . .

Japan’s initiative in agreeing to sign the Law of the Sea conven tion is being seen in Fiji as a move that could sway other lead ing countries into signing the agreement.

The view was expressed in Suva recently by Fiji’s Ambas sador to the United Nations, Filipe Bole.

Mr Bole said that it would be extremely difficult for other lead ing countries to refrain from signing the treaty since the deci sion by Japan would mean that it could possibly enter into agree ments with island nations for the exploitation of their marine resources.

He said Japan’s wealth, and readiness to co-operate with the island nations on the exploitation

of marine resources, was a fact well received by the island states.

In an earlier interview, the Prime Minister Ratu Sir Kamis ese Mara described President Reagan’s attitude towards the Law of the Sea as an “obstruc tive act’’. However, Ratu Sir Kamisese was hopeful the US would find a way to accommo date the terms and conditions of the treaty and “be able to come with rest of the world’’.

The Reagan Administration had made it clear during the April session of the treaty talks that the US does not intend sign ing the document because certain parts of the treaty, it says, do not

satisfy US positions and

interests.

The Fiji delegation believes

that apart from the Japanese ges ture another aspect that could persuade other countries to sign the agreement was that the world’s lending institutions would not want to risk providing financial support to any country that wishes to exploit the world’s marine resources unless there ex ists an international agreement to safeguard their interests.

This includes the prevention and detection of illegal fishermen and poachers as well as institut ing arrests and seizure of catches

and fishing equipment.

Particular emphasis is also be

ing placed on apprehending

fishermen who illegally use dy namite for fishing.

The Fiji spokesman said the program of appointing fish war dens from their own villages has become highly effective as more and more fishermen are becom ing aware of the legal powers of wardens.

The 320 articles and nine an nexes of the convention consti tute a guide for state behaviour in the world’s oceans, defining maritime zones, laying down guidelines for drawing boun daries, assigning legal duties and responsibilities and providing machinery for settlement of maritime disputes.

Fiji has declared a 12-mile territorial sea outside its ar chipelagic waters, and from the zone baseline it has declared a 200-mile exclusive economic zone wherein Fiji has reserved for itself the sovereign right to utilise the mineral and fish re sources to be found in those waters and the seabed below.

For islands such as the Rotuma group and Ceva-i-Ra the conven tion also provides for the exten sion of territorial seas and exclu sive economic zones. These, Fiji has already declared. The con vention gives the force of inter national law to the national legis lation which has already been enacted by Fiji in its Marine

Spaces Act.

Fiji Focus.

After nine years of re search, negotiation and drafting, countries through out the world have begun signing the Law of the Sea Convention. The conven tion involves the rights of nations in the ownership, management and control of marine and seabed re sources, and is of far reaching significance to Pacific Island countries.

According to a Decem ber 13 report, 109 nations had already signed the convention in ceremonies at the Law of the Sea con ference centre at Montego Bay, Jamaica. Notable ex ceptions from the early sig natories were USA, Japan and Britain, but the conven tion will remain open for signature for two years from December 10, 1982.

Japanese readiness to sign the convention re ferred to by Fiji’s ambas sador Filipe Bole in the re port on this page was announced by the former government led by Prime Minister Suzuki. The in coming Nakasone govern ment announced in De cember that it would refrain from signing “at least for the time being”, saying that it needed time to explain its position to its major world partners. Britain has adopt ed a similar stand. The USA attitude is much harder.