§ 18. Mr. Dalyellasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a statement on the results of the fishery research, conducted under the auspices of his Department, relating to the catching of fish, at deep levels of water, in the Irish and Celtic Seas.
§ Mr. Anthony StodartI shall announce the results of the recent voyages in the North-East Atlantic as soon as they 637 have been fully assessed, and I shall discuss them with the industry.
§ Mr. DalyellWhat indications are there that deep water fishing like this is a serious source of food supply to this country?
§ Mr. StodartIt is too soon to be very optimistic about this matter. There are some extremely exciting possibilities if the difficulties of deep sea fishing can be got round. The shoals of blue whiting that have been discovered are very extensive.
§ Mr. Laurance ReedIs it not opportune to congratulate our fishery scientists on locating this huge new fishery off Rockall? Will my hon. Friend confirm the sensational size of the potential yield of this fishery? Is this not welcome news for our fishing industry and, indeed, for the British housewife?
§ Mr. StodartYes, Sir. I confirm that our scientists estimate the stocks of blue whiting to be about 1 million tons. There are practical difficulties in both catching and filleting, but I believe that they can be overcome in this age of the white heat of the technological revolution.