894.628/6–1747
Memorandum of Conversation, by the Assistant Chief of the International Resources Division (VanSant)
| Participants: | Members Sub-Committee on Fishing, of Committee 2, FEC: |
| China: Dr. Koo, Chairman | |
| United States: Mr. Whitman, Mr. Bowman, JK; Mr. VanSant, IR | |
| Australia: Major Plimsoll | |
| Netherlands: Dr. Hart, Capt. Stam | |
| USSR: Mr. Korobochkin | |
| Philippines: Mr. Jovellanos |
This meeting was convened in an effort to effect a compromise of the impasse which developed last January and February in Committee 2, FEC, over the Australian proposal that any further extension of [Page 228] the Japanese fishing areas, as authorized June 22, 1946, be subject to prior approval by the FEC.
The Chairman, Dr. Koo, suggested that FEC Paper No. C2–014/3 (this is a revision of the paper originally submitted by the member for Australia) be used as the basis for discussion. Since whaling is to be considered in a separate paper, that subject is eliminated from the present paper, and discussion was confined to the problem of fishing areas, and particularly to paragraph 2(b) which reads “No extension of Japanese fishing beyond the foregoing area should be permitted without prior authorization by the FEC.”
The Soviet member repeated his support of the provision as it stands. Mr. Whitman presented the U.S. position, emphasizing the importance of fish in the protein diet of the Japanese in view of the present impossibility of obtaining more than a very small quantity of soybeans, and the importance of permitting SCAP’s freedom, within the recognized considerations of security, to adjust fishing areas to meet the situation. The Netherlands members desired a copy of the report of the Harrison Mission on Japanese food supply, and the latest figures ‘on the Japanese fish catch and the prospective catch in the presently authorized area; he wanted evidence as to whether more intensive fishing in the present area would lead to serious depletion of the area, as is suggested in the Harrison Report. The member for the Philippines thought that the FEC–035 phrase “near areas under Allied jurisdiction” would be covered by keeping the Japanese at least 50 miles away. The Australian member repeated a former statement: that he felt that “near” would be “anywhere south of the equator.” He also desired that the Japanese be prohibited from pearl-fishing outside the present area.
The Chairman presented the following redraft of paragraph 2(b) as a suggested basis of compromise:
“Extension of Japanese fishing beyond the foregoing area should be permitted in accordance with the Terms of Reference of the Far Eastern Commission but no Japanese fishing operations should be permitted within . . . . . miles of any land area under jurisdiction of any foreign government without prior permission from the government concerned.”
Mr. Whitman agreed to make an effort to obtain copies of the fisheries part of the Harrison Report and the statistics that the Netherlands member requested, all members will give consideration to the redraft of paragraph 2(b), and another meeting will be held within the next two weeks.