1.
GV Sept. 1973 British frigate brushing with Icelandic gunboat - The Thor (2 shots).
0.24

2.
CU Defence Ministers Hattersley.
0.50

3.
GV Icelandic gunboat in harbour
0.53

4.
SV Guns covered on board (4 shots).
1.05

5.
SV INT. Gunboat skipper checks charts.
1.10

6.
SV Gunboat leaves harbour.
1.20

7.
CU Icelandic Ambassador.
1.50


LUTON: " Do you think that those British frigates will have to use any form of force?"



HATTERSLEY: "Well that's not what they're being sent there for. They're being sent to be quick and to be valuable to the cape where the coastguard cutters are to notify the trawler fleet and as with the civilian protection vessels to interpose themselves between the attacking coastguard cutters and the fishing trawlers. I believe they can do that with the minimum use of force."



SIGURDOSSON: " Well, fishing under naval protection is very difficult and the British trawler skippers they don't like it. They catch less fish then they would catch if they catch it under Iceland control and with the full agreement of the Iceland government . I am sure that in a couple of weeks you will hear complaints from British trawler skippers saying the Navy is keeping us where there's no fish. Wait and see."



SYNPOSIS: In the Cod War of 1973, there were several brushes between Icelandic Coastguard vessels and British frigates as Iceland extended its fishing limits from 12 to 50 miles. This October, Iceland increased its limit to 200 miles to preserve dwindling fishing stocks. On Tuesday BBC's Clifford Luton asked British Foreign Office Minister Roy Hattersley about the rapidly deteriorating situation.



The decision to send in frigates to protect the fishing fleet was an agonizing one for the British Government. Until the day before, they were hoping Iceland's plans to enter the lucrative common Market with their main export - Cod - would lead Iceland to take a more conciliatory position towards Britain in order to maintain goodwill. Iceland's Ambassador to Britain, Niels Sigurdsson, said the presence of the British navy might work to Iceland's advantages.




Initials MV/1900


The film includes interview with British Foreign Office Minister Roy Hattersley and Iceland's Ambassador to Britain Niels Sigurdsson. The reporter is the BBC's Clifford Luton. A transcript of both interviews appears below.
REPORTER: CLIFFORD LUTON

Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved

Background: Iceland and Britain appeared on the brink of a new " Cod War" on Tuesday ( 25 November) as Icelandic authorities vowed to defend their 200 mile fishing limit " even against the might of the British Navy."
Britain has decided to send three frigates into the zone. Iceland and Britain are both members of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) and Iceland's Prime Minister Geir Hallgrimson denounced the move as a violation of the NATO treaty and the Helsinki Declaration.

In the last "Cod War" of 1973 there were several clashed between Icelandic coastguard vessels trying to cut the wires of British trawlers and British naval frigates trying to prevent them.

In 1973 dispute across after Iceland extended its fishing limits from 12 to 50 miles to conserve dwindling fish stocks off its coast.

The Icelandic government extended that limit to 200 miles on 15 October this year - to the dismay of British and West German fishermen who have traditionally operated in the area.

Iceland and west Germany subsequently reached an agreement over the limit but talks between London and Reykyavik broke down recently.