From the Private Secretary
Der Bob,
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OROIT
скаки
Made Chadtion SAND
do de xp yu
10 DOWNING STREET
LONDON SWIA 2AA
Anz 076/1
PS/M Egge
Mlecom.
Llap
The Geweld
love goy.
“” :
cc Nutalfan, Fo
8 June 1989
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His Endwarce myc
PRIME MINISTER'S MEETING WITH LORD SHACKLETON AND
LORD BUXTON
Lord Shackleton and Lord Buxton called on the Prime Minister in her room in the House this afternoon to raise a number of points concerned with the South Atlantic and Antarctic.
Their main concern was to emphasise the need for a rapid decision on a replacement for HMS Endurance. They were of the view that the replacement should be a naval ship and preferably one bought off the shelf rather than built specially. In this context, they also raised the need for the Royal Navy to be commissioned to do further work in charting the Antarctic coast and sea. The increasing number of tour ships visiting the area, which was inadequately charted, carried the risk of some being wrecked with disastrous consequences. The Prime Minister said that it was our firm intention to replace HMS Endeavour and she would see to it that a decision was reached in plenty of time.
Lord Shackleton and Lord Buxton also raised the question of a permanent presence on South Georgia and the establishment of a fisheries zone round it. They readily took the point the presence could be either military or civilian. They thought that establishment of a fisheries zone and the stationing of a fisheries officer on South Georgia would be a useful step. When the Prime Minister referred to the need for scientific study of fishery resources in the area they claimed that this had been going on for some time, implying that it was a means of delaying a decision. The Prime Minister asked about the difficulty of policing a fisheries zone, but they were not inclined to regard this as a major problem.
They also made brief reference to a Falklands fisheries zone, claiming that British fishing interests were receiving favourable treatment. They offered to let the Prime Minister have a note about this. The Prime Minister suggested that in fact there was no long any significant British long distance fishing fleet and therefore relatively little interest in obtaining licences for fishing in the area.
I am copying this letter to Brian Hawtin (Ministry of Defence).
12/6
karce,
R. N. Pearce, Esq.,
OFFI
C. D. POWELL
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