BC FISH EUROPE UNION/European Union formally adopts Canada fish accord

BRUSSELS, April 17 (Reuter) The European Union on Monday formally adopted an agreement reached at the weekend with Canada to end a bitter five week row over fishing rights in the north Atlantic.

"This agreement...puts an end to the dispute between the Community and Canada on Greenland halibut (turbot) fishing in NAFO (North West Atlantic Fisheries Organisation) waters," the EU said in a statement.

The sweeping deal that establishes new fishing quotas and sets tough enforcement measures was adopted by written procedure. An EU source told Reuters there had been a "qualified majority", with Portugal voting against.

The agreement gives the EU, all of whose quota is accounted for by Spain and Portugal, 5,013 more tonnes of Greenland halibut in the waters off Newfoundland for the rest of 1995.

Previously, Canada said Spain had already fished its entire 10,000 tonne share of a NAFO quota of 27,000 tonnes.

The row began on March 9 when Canada seized a Spanish trawler in international waters and demanded a new agreement for Greenland halibut designed to conserve stocks.

EU Fisheries Commissioner Emma Bonino said on Sunday the agreement, hammered out during intensive Easter weekend negotiations, was good for all Canada and the Union, fishing and fishermen.

Canadian Fisheries Minister Brian Tobin said in Ottawa that Canada had achieved its objective of enforceable conservation rules and effective protection for the fish.

In Spain, the EU country most involved in the dispute, the government described the deal as the best one possible, and Labour Minister Jose Antonio Grinan said on Monday he would consider aid for Spanish fishermen who lose their jobs.

However Spain's fishermen condemned the agreement as a betrayal, saying it would cut Spain's catch by 75 percent and double Canada's.

Hackles were also raised in Spain over British and Irish support for Canada during the dispute, and on Monday Foreign Minister Javier Solana said the ministry had summoned the British ambassador in Madrid to express its displeasure.

Portuguese Agriculture and Maritime Affairs Minister Antonio Duarte Silva said on Sunday Portugal was unhappy with the deal.

"Portugal could not agree with the accord," Duarte Silva told the Portuguese news agency Lusa, but added that Lisbon had decided not to block it.

"Portugal understood that it would be counter productive to use its right of veto, always complex and rarely asked for in recent years, because there was great pressure from nearly all member states to reach an agreement."

Canada and the EU will jointly present the agreement to the 15 nation NAFO which virtually guarantees its endorsement. NAFO, which includes Russia, Poland and Japan among its members, oversees fishing in the area and sets catch quotas.