HC Deb 01 May 1957 vol 569 cc201-2
54. Mr. Hector Hughes

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether, as a result of the recent visit of H.M.S. "Bramble", the Government fishery protection vessel and minesweeper, to the fishing grounds near Norway and the Faroes, he is in a position to state the extent and value of the damage to the nets recently caused to British fishermen there.

The Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (Mr. Derick Heathcoat Amory)

The fishermen concerned have been asked to provide detailed reports of the extent and value of damage sustained. Until all these reports have been received and examined, I cannot give an estimate of the losses.

Mr. Hughes

What is being done to compensate the fishermen? Who will pay the compensation?

Mr. Amory

When I receive the reports, my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Scotland and I will then consider whether they should be forwarded through diplomatic channels to the foreign fishermen concerned—in this case, mainly the Russians.

Lady Tweedsmuir

Will my right hon. Friend take into account that a Lowestoft drifter was given twenty new nets by the skipper of a Russian trawler who had damaged them and that these new nets have been impounded by the British Customs as Russian imports?

Mr. Amory

That is a very unusual import. Certainly, with the co-operation of my hon. Friends, I will look into the matter.

Mr. Woodburn

Does not this clear up the suggestion that the damage was done maliciously by the Russian trawlers and show that it was very largely the result of inexperience? Is not that the case?

Mr. Amory

That is the evidence I have received so far. The explanation is that probably it was inexperience by the Russians of our methods of fishing.

Dame Irene Ward

Does my right hon. Friend think the Admiralty supply sufficient patrol vessels to deal with these incidents, because they are causing a great deal of anxiety to trawlers in general?

Mr. Amory

I think my hon. Friend will agree that it is impossible to ensure that there will be patrols at every point throughout our widespread fishing grounds. We are very grateful indeed for the efforts made by the Admiralty to ensure that the patrols shall be as effective as possible.

Mr. Lipton

Rather than pursuing the matter through the diplomatic channels, as the right hon. Gentleman has threatened, would it not be better to authorise the captain and crew of the "Bramble" to handle the matter? They have dealt with it very satisfactorily up to now and seem to get on with the Russians better than the Foreign Office does.