
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: MONDAY, April 17, 1995                   TAG: 9504170093
SECTION: NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL                    PAGE: A-4   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: Associated Press
DATELINE: BRUSSELS, BELGIUM                                LENGTH: Short

DEAL SET IN SPAIN-CANADA FISH FEUD

The European Union and Canada pulled back Sunday from the brink of a high seas confrontation by approving a deal to resolve their feud over fishing rights in the North Atlantic.

Spanish fishermen, however, accused their government of selling them out and said they intended to ignore the new quotas on turbot catches - unless forced to abide by them at gunpoint.

``It's possible that they'll impose [the new quota] on us by the force of arms, and then we'll have to accept it,'' said Reinaldo Iglesias, a spokesman for two Spanish fishermen's cooperatives. ``Here, what counts is armed force.''

The dispute flared March 9 when Canadian ships chased and seized the Spanish trawler Estai in international waters after firing warning shots across its bow. Canada claimed the Estai was overfishing.

Both sides sent warships to the region off the coast of Newfoundland in recent days as relations soured.

Spain and Portugal are the only EU nations with substantial interests in the turbot. Fishing communities in both countries, like those in Canada, are hard hit by unemployment and see the turbot as a economic lifeline.

In Madrid, Fisheries Minister Luis Atienza called the deal positive and said the industry would come around when it learned more of the details.

The dispute was over how to divide a total catch limit of 27,000 tons set by the Northwest Atlantic Fisheries Organization.

Under the settlement, Canada will get 10,000 tons of the total.

by CNB