WOMEN WITH PEART; WOMEN SPEAKS (SOF); SHIPS HELD IN ICE IN DENMARK WATERS, (1966); TRAWLER SKIPPER INTERVIEWED (SOF).



TRANSCRIPT: TRAWLERMENS' WIFE: "BAN THESE FISHING GROUNDS DURING THE WINTER MONTHS."



QUESTION:



"AND YOU WANT THIS BAN APPLIED IMMEDIATELY?"



WOMAN:



"IMMEDIATELY -- NOW. WE MAY GO BACK HOME AND WHAT WILL BE FACING US BUT ANOTHER TRAWLER'S GONE DOWN. WE DON'T WANT WANT IT TALKED ABOUT FOR THE NEXT WEEK. WE DON'T WANT NO PROMISES. WE WANT SOMETHING CONCRETE. SOMETHING TO TAKE HOME TO OUR PEOPLE IN HULL. WE WANT TO GO HOME AND SAY -- 'YES, THEY ARE APPLYING THIS RULE IMMEDIATELY."



A TRAWLER SKIPPER SAID:



"I DON'T KNOW FRANKLY. THE ORDINARY FISHERMAN'S A BIT SICK ABOUT THESE WOMEN INTERFERING IN THEIR OWN BUSINESS, AND THE SOONER WE GET DOWN TO DEALING WITH THE MEN WHO MATTER RATHER THAN THE WOMEN THE BETTER."




Initials GHB/B&VISLIB/RM/BB



Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved

Background: DRAMATIC NEWS FROM ICELAND TONIGHT (TUESDAY) OF A SURVIVOR FROM THE HULL TRAWLER "ROSS CLEVELAND" WHICH WAS THOUGHT TO HAVE SUNK WITH THE LOSS OF ALL HANDS YESTERDAY. THE SHIP'S MATE, MR. HARRY EDDOM, WAS WASHED ASHORE ON A RAFT AND SURVIVED AN ARCTIC NIGHT BEFORE BEING FOUND ALIVE. HE WAS TONIGHT IN HOSPITAL SUFFERING FROM SEVERE FROSTBITE, BUT SAID TO BE REMARKABLE WELL. A DEPUTATION REPRESENTING HULL TRAWLERMEN'S WIVES TRAVELLED TO LONDON TODAY TO DEMAND ACTION FROM THE GOVERNMENT ON SAFETY MEASURES FOR THE TRAWLERS.

THE DEPUTATION OF WIVES THIS AFTERNOON MET THE MINISTER OF AGRICULTURE AND FISHERIES, MR. FRED PEART, AND THE MINISTER OF STATE AT THE BOARD OF TRADE, MR. J.W.P. MALLALIEU. MR. PEART WAS TO REPORT TO PRIME MINISTER HAROLD WILSON LATER.

MR. MALLALIEU SAID TONIGHT THAT TRAWLERS COULD BE BANNED FROM NORTH ICELANDIC WATERS IN BAD WEATHER BY THE WEEKEND AS A RESULT OF TALKS TO BE HELD WITH THE FISHING INDUSTRY TOMORROW. HE SAID HE WOULD PRESS FOR ACCEPTANCE OF A BAN OF VESSELS GOING TO AREAS WHERE CONDITIONS WERE ANYTHING LIKE THOSE OFF ICELAND AT PRESENT; REGULAR RADIO REPORTS BY TRAWLER -- EVERY 12 HOURS IF POSSIBLE; FULL RESCUE OPERATIONS IF SHIPS FAILED TO REPORT AND RADIO OPERATORS ON ALL TRAWLERS. HE ALSO SAID A FULL INQUIRY WOULD BE HELD WHICH COULD REVOLUTIONISE THE ENGLISH FISHING INDUSTRY.

ONE OF THE TRAWLERMENS' WIVES AMONG THE DELEGATION SAID: