TNAG-0429-FCO40-494-Programme-Analysis-and-Review-(PAR)-Future-of-Dependent-Terr-1974 — Page 128

Mr P.J. Gouldon Planning Staff

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Sea Bed and Coastal Water Resources of British Dependent.

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Your minute of 16 January.

International Section of Research Department agree with the suggestion that Governors should be consulted on the resources in their coastal waters and sea bed. They will have valuable information on local fishing and on the interest shown in prospecting rights on the sea bed. Some British firms, which have lost fishing grounds off Iceland, may well be interested in developing the small tuna fish industry elsewhere.

Dominica, St. Lucia and St. Kitts and Nevis, all of which have possible oil potential, have been omitted from the list of territories in the Caribbean in paragraph 1 of the covering note, and also the New Hebrides with some fish resources, from the Pacific. In the same paragraph the British Antarctic Territory has probable fish as well as oil potential, and the Gilbert and Ellice Islands have substantial tuna resources, not "some fish."

There do seem to be good reasons for retaining sovereignty and gaining a 200 mile EEZ for the British Antartic Territory, the British Indian Ocean Territory, the Falkland Island Dependencies and St. Helena/Ascension, as suggested in paragraph 2 of the covering note, the British Indian Ocean Territory and Ascension for defence reasons and communication links, the Falkland Island Dependencies and St. Helena/Ascension for their fish resources and the British Antarctic Territory for marine rexsearch. I understand it is not in our defence interests to encourage oil prospecting off the British Indian Ocean Territory, at least at present, as well as there being complications in the agreement over the Chagos Archipelago with Kauritius; but it will be important to stop other States prospecting in the near vicinity of the islands, The suggestion of separating the administration of the Falkland Island Dependencies from the Falkland Islands by an Order in Council, seemed a good one, if it is feasible. The coastal resources of the Falkland Island Dependecies are not exploited at all by the Falkland Islands, so that their loss would not affect the islands badget, while with a 200 mile EEZ, they could benefit the UK directly, either by commercial enterprise or by the issuing of licences to other interested States, such as the USSR or Japan.

The rival claims to the Banks off the Turks and Caicos Islands, mentioned briefly in paragraph 3 of the covering note, present an unfortunate risk to the economy of the Islands, Is it too late to consider the suggestions made in 1972 for an aricable settlement with the Dominican Republic ? Silver Bank is particularly valuable to the Turks and Caicos Islands. As the Dominican Republic is not making a claim to Mouchoir at the moment, it might. be possible to give up the UK claim to Navidad in return for the Dominican Republic giving up its claim to Silver.

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