"Bilateral talks on how to ensure adequate conservation of the Greenland halibut are not going as foreseen. The Canadians are not behaving as the EU had expected, casting doubt on their good faith in implementing the April agreement in full. It is unclear what game they are playing. I therefore urge Ottawa to respect its obligations. We are ready to do the same for the sake of conservation".

Emma Bonino, European Commissioner for Fisheries, is extremely concerned about the position the Canadian government authorities have taken in recent meetings on the halibut question. Within the framework of the Agreed Minute between the EU and Canada (it was signed on 16 April 1995) resolving the dispute on fisheries, the two parties have worked closely together in NAFO (North-west Atlantic Fisheries Organization) to ensure that the control and enforcement measures can be adopted as a part of a global package, including a new allocation key for Greenland halibut for 1996 during the NAFO annual meeting in September.

NAFO partners met in Toronto two weeks ago when the control and enforcement measures were discussed. It was agreed with Canada to start working on the second part of the Agreed Minute, namely the new allocation key, as soon as the scientific advice for 1996 TAC was available. Against this background, Canada expressly suggested meeting in Brussels on this issue on Thursday 29 June 1995 with a view to organizing common steps vis-à-vis other Contracting Parties in order to ensure a satisfactory quota allocation of Greenland halibut for the Community. The Commission accepted Canada's suggestion.

However, Canada arrived at the meeting with a different agenda, seeking all possible pretexts to avoid starting work on the new allocation key. "I fear Ottawa may be using adecoy to disguise a softening of its commitment to resolving the allocation of halibut", Commissioner Bonino added.

In particular, the Canadians raised alleged infringements committed by two vessels (Mayi IV and Patricia Nores) flying the flag of a Community Member State, arguing that the Community has not effectively pursued these incidents by ordering the vessels back to port (in one case) or by taking legal action. In fact in one of these cases, the vessel has been sent back to port, its licence withdrawn and legal action has been launched. In the other case, the Commission only received Canada's complaint on June 26, less than 72 hours before the meeting. The Community refuted the Canadian allegations, and referred to all the efforts it has deployed to implement the Agreement, e.g. the success of putting observers on board vessels. Canada maintained the position that, unless the Community could satisfy Canada that it is fully committed to implementing the Agreement, it would not support the Community in any way on the allocation key.

The Community expressed its total astonishment at the Canadian position, which is contradictory to the outcome of the Toronto meeting and to the outcome of the bilateral contacts between Canada and the Community during the G7 summit in Halifax just over two weeks ago.

"I urge Ottawa to discuss this issue positively, as this is the only way to ensure the longterm survival of Halibut stocks to which both Europe and Canada are rightly committed", the Commissioner said.