INTHENEWS 
     
    
   
   
    
     On October 12, 1984, the World Court in the Hague handed down its decision on 
     
     the long-standing dispute between Canada and the U.S. on the ownership and 
     
     fishing rights in the Georges Bank/ Gulf of Maine area.The Court decided in a 
     
     4-1 judgement that approximately 5/6 of the territory would belong to the U.3. 
     
     while the remaining 1/6 went to Canada, who had asked for at least a third of 
     
     the area. ' 
     
    

    
     The impact on the Canadian fishing industry and the oil and gas explorations 
     
     will be noticeable. Several permits for exploratory wells have been issued for 
     
     aceas that are now outside Canadian jurisdictionzand the scallop fishery in 
     
     Nova Scotia could be severely affected as the higher percentage of stocks lie 
     
     in what is now U.S. territory. ‘ 
     
    

    
     Some sources feel that the N.S. scallop fleet could be cut by about one third 
     
     with the loss of_approximately 400 jobs at sea. And because scallop fisherman 
     
     make so much more money than other fisherman the effects will be felt down the 
     
     line from boatbuilders to merchants. 
     
    

    
     Meanwhile, the 0.5. fishermen could pressure Washington for tighter trade 
     
     restrictions on Canadian fish caning into the States-as "retaliation" for the 
     
     loss of the Georges Banks scallop beds, Maine lobster beds.and-New.England haddock 
     
     spawning grounds to N.S. The U.S. fishermen are already upset by what they feel is 
     
     unfair gov't. subsidization of the Canadian fishing industry. 
     
    

    
     Needless to say there will much more discussion between the two countries 
     
     while they try to resolve their disappointments. 
     
    

    
     (Sources- Globe and Mail, newscasts etc.)