BC FISH BRITAIN / Britain welcomes EU Canada fish deal

By Paul Mylrea

LONDON, April 18 (Reuter) Fisheries Minister William Waldegrave on Tuesday dismissed media reports that Britain's ambassador to Spain had been dressed down by Madrid over British support for Canada in a fishing row.

Telling parliament he welcomed a deal ending the bitter dispute between Canada and the European Union, which had been a victory for diplomacy, Waldegrave said the reports bore "little relation to what transpired".

Spain's Foreign Minister Javier Solana said on Monday that Ambassador David Brighty had been called in to hear Spain's opinion of Britain's attitude during the conflict.

"The ambassador is being called to the ministry today and he will be informed of Spain's displeasure at Britain's attitude from the beginning of this dispute until the very end," he said.

But Waldegrave said Brighty had used the meeting with Carlos Westendorp, the Spanish minister responsible for EU affairs, to stress that Britain had tried to promote a negotiated settlement acceptable to both sides and favourable to conservation.

"That (agreement) had now been achieved," Waldegrave said. "It is a victory for good sense and negotiation."

The deal hammered out at the weekend gives the EU a 41

percent share of the 27,000 tonne total catch set this year by

the North West Atlantic Fishing Organisation (NAFO), and the

same quota for both the EU and Canada on the 1996 catch.

There will also be tough enforcement of rules on fishing in the area. In a conciliatory gesture, Canada agreed to repay money posted by the owner of a Spanish fishing boat whose seizure sparked the row and to repay the value of the catch.

In the wake of the deal, the Madrid government has come under pressure from Spanish fishermen and opposition politicians who have accused ministers of caving in to pressure and are urging the government not to ratify the agreement.

Spain's government has described the deal as the best possible, and Labour Minister Jose Antonio Grinan said on Monday he would consider aid for Spanish fishermen who lose their jobs.

Prime Minister John Major said on Tuesday that Royal Navy vessels would be on hand to help any British boats affected by Spanish protests at sea. He told parliament they would ensure "strict enforcement" on fishing rules and agreements.

But relations between Britain and Spain will not be improved by the seizure of a Spanish trawler for allegedly using illegal nets and a string of other irregularities.

The Ministry of Agriculture said the skipper, Louis Blanco Nosti, will appear in court on Wednesday on charges of illegal fishing off the south west coast of England. The court has the power to impose fines or take away fishing licences.