Islands to ask to extend their waters to 12 nautical miles
THE Bailiwick’s territorial waters should be extended to 12 nautical miles, after the States yesterday approved a report giving Policy & Resources the authority to ask the UK Government for an order in council to be made to this effect.
Members also backed a request for P&R to seek agreement in principle with the UK over the island taking control of the foreshore and seabed from the Crown, and this matter will return to the States.
Deputy Barry Paint declared his interest as president of the Guernsey Fishermen’s Association and said he was concerned about the proposals and he could not support them for the whole of the Bailiwick.
He had raised his concerns with P&R but had many more issues he hoped he would be able to put.
Alderney representative Alex Snowdon said the matter had not yet been discussed in detail by the States of Alderney.
The island’s interest was probably more in the sea bed and tidal development and it backed P&R’s proposals.
Fellow representative Steve Roberts said this was seen as a ‘good thing’ to protect it given what could happen with Brexit. He said it was important that they were able to discuss the median lines as soon as possible and the fishing issues could follow at a later date.
What about if Alderney ‘did something silly’ and looked to sell fishing licences to French or Spanish vessels, wondered Deputy Neil Inder, who said nobody seemed to have any idea of the potential value of the fishing in the new extended sea area.
Deputy David de Lisle supported the proposals but said that with expansion of the territorial seas would come an expansion of the island’s responsibility for the marine environment and pollution in the area and this should not be downplayed.
P&R member Deputy Al Brouard said that while the changes being proposed did not solve every problem they were a positive move. ‘This does take the Bailiwick one really big step forward towards greater autonomy over the seas that surround our islands.’
He added that the UK Foreign Office had said it supported the island’s intentions.
Replying to a brief debate, he said that if Alderney did want to launch their own licensing system it would have to ‘unpick itself’ from the existing Bailiwick licensing system and this would be a complicated issue which many outside parties would not like.
He suggested Deputy De Lisle contact him via email and he would be able to answer questions about environment and pollution, which would fall under the responsibilities of Environment & Infrastructure and Health & Social Care, respectively.
The propositions were passed unopposed.
