BC FISH CANADA/Canada threatens action if EU fish deal dies (Adds stronger remarks threatening action, paras 1 3)

By Robert Kozak

OTTAWA Canada urged the European Union (EU) on Wednesday to approve an agreement to end their feud over fishing in the North Atlantic, warning it would otherwise act on its own to save threatened fish stocks.

"We'll wait a number of days, but we're not prepared to wait forever," Fisheries Minister Brian Tobin told reporters. "After that we do whatever is required to save the stock."

Tobin's words have been backed by action. Canadian vessels seized a Spanish factory trawler on March 9, accusing it of overfishing, and later cut the nets of another one enraging the EU but gaining its attention.

The EU and Canada have reached a draft accord that an EU official said could be presented to EU foreign ministers on Monday.

Spanish boats have meanwhile continued to scoop up Greenland halibut, or turbot, off the coast of Newfoundland in international waters where Canada has unilaterally declared a moratorium.

"The basic elements are there. What we really require is a decision by the EU and that is what we are waiting for," Tobin said.

"If they say no, we've got a whole bunch of (fishing) boats with Canadian flags flapping in the wind, and there's a limit to how long those flags can flap in the wind and watch fish being caught."

Officials say a deal has been struck on reallocating quotas and on various other outstanding issues. Negotiations are continuing, but Tobin said these were on finer points such as how soon inspectors would be able to get onto trawlers.

Spain has objected to some aspects of the deal and has threatened to scuttle any agreement unless the EU gets half the permitted 29,700 ton (27,000 tonne) 1995 catch of turbot.

Canadian Prime Minister Jean Chretien spoke with European Commission President Jacques Santer on Wednesday to try to speed a resolution. Canadian officials say dealing with the 15 EU countries has been frustrating "but in my judgment there is enough on the table on both sides," Chretien told reporters.

Canada says it has the right to seize vessels outside its 200 nautical mile limit if fish stocks are in danger. But the EU and Spain reject Ottawa's claim of jurisdiction on the high seas.