Fishing Industry (Hansard, 22 January 1981)

§ 8. Mr. Spence
asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a statement on the future of the United Kingdom fishing industry.

§ Mr. Buchanan-Smith
We are determined to secure a settlement of a common fisheries policy which meets the essential needs of the fishing industry in the United Kingdom.

§ Mr. Spence
Whatever may be agreed between the various parties concerning the future of the British fishing industry, can the Minister assure the House that he will use his best endeavours to ensure that our fisheries patrol capability is adequate and effective?

§ Mr. Buchanan-Smith
Yes. I assure my hon. Friend on that point. Reverting to the earlier question on conservation, we have to make sure that the protection effort is available to carry out the work effectively. I remind my hon. Friend and the House that it is the responsibility of the United Kingdom Government to carry out the policing of our fisheries limits up to 200 miles or the median line.

§ Mr. Austin Mitchell
Is the hon. Gentleman aware that the odds are that there will be no agreement in the fishing talks in Brussels next week? With the hon. Gentleman having given up five-sevenths of the annual catch of £520 million in British waters, the French might as well try for the jackpot. With no agreement, Grimsby vessels that would ordinarily be fishing in Norwegian waters at this time of the year cannot go there. Will the hon. Gentleman next week either take steps to dissociate the internal and external agreements so that Grimsby vessels and vessels from other ports can resume fishing in Norwegian waters or, if that is not possible, make a direct approach to Norway to discuss a roll-over for British vessels given that the Norwegian reciprocal catch is in our waters?

§ Mr. Buchanan-Smith
The hon. Gentleman, as usual, displays his desire to have no settlement. What he says underlines the need for a settlement and also underlines the point that only a settlement that is agreed internationally can be properly effective and conserve fish stocks. The Norwegian Government have not been prepared to come to an agreement with other countries because of the absence of a properly negotiated international agreement. Like the right hon. Member for Western Isles (Mr. Stewart), I look forward to the support of the hon. Gentleman instead of the sniping.

§ Mr. McQuarrie
Apart from the pessimism of the hon. Member for Grimsby (Mr. Mitchell), I am sure that both sides of the House will give full support to my hon. Friend and to his right hon. Friend in their efforts to complete a common fisheries policy next week. We hope that they will come to the House with that policy successfully concluded. Will my hon. Friend give an assurance that British Ministers, before going to Brussels next week, will have the usual talks with the fishing industry to discuss strategy.

§ Mr. Buchanan-Smith
I look forward to the day when I enjoy the full support of the hon. Member for Grimsby (Mr. Mitchell) in relation to fishing matters. We shall be having consultations with the fishing industry before the next meeting of the Council. Representatives of the fishing industry, will as usual be attending meetings of the Council

§ Mr. Mason
Is not the Minister aware that proposals that have come so far from the Commission on a common fisheries policy have not been accepted by the industry or by this House? As we are near the crunch of either success or a sell-out, will the hon. Gentleman explain to the House before next Tuesday's meeting, and preferably now, what are the minimum demands that he will make on behalf of 414 United Kingdom fishermen at next week's Fisheries Council? Is it not time that we had laid down the minimum demands of the Government?

§ Mr. Buchanan-Smith
I am sorry to have to remind the right hon. Gentleman again that the kind of proposals and the kind of deal available at the last Fisheries Council in December, as my right hon. friend the Secretary of State for Scotland announced to the House, had the broad support of the representatives of the fishing industry of the United Kingdom. I am afraid that the right hon. Gentleman cannot go on cavilling in the way he is simply because he appears not to want a settlement at all.

§ Mr. Mason
Is not the Minister aware that in "Fishing News", representing the whole of the fishing industry, this month, there are complaints about the Government's posturing in the House of Commons. It states: We fail to see how the Government can expect the industry to give continued support to the deal outlined in Brussels. There is a chill wind of feat blowing through the ports. Ministers themselves and the Government are still not aware of the fears and anxieties of the ports and the fishermen.

§ Mr. Buchanan-Smith
The right hon. Gentleman may prefer to rest for his advice on a journal which, I may say, is published weekly and not monthly. I prefer to rely on the advice of the industry and those who are actively practising fishing. Those are the people on whose advice I will rest.