§ 1. Mr. Richard Bacon (South Norfolk)What discussions he has had with the Falkland Islands Government concerning a multilateral treaty for illex fishery on the high seas. [39564]
§ The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (Mr. Denis MacShane)We discussed a possible multilateral high seas agreement at the November South Atlantic fisheries commission meeting in Argentina, in which the Falkland Islands Government's director of fisheries played a key role as a member of the UK delegation.
§ Mr. BaconIt gives me great pleasure to ask the Minister a question about squid, but before I do so, I should declare that I returned recently from the Falkland Islands, which I visited at the invitation of the Falkland Islands Government. I have registered this in the normal way and been assured by the Registrar of Members' Interests that my question is not in breach of the advocacy rule.
Is the Minister aware that satellite photographs show fishing boats on the high seas emitting more light than the city of Buenos Aires because there are so many of them? Will he ensure, in the spirit of what the Secretary of State for Defence said about the Falkland Islands yesterday, that there is wider co-operation between Argentina and the Falkland Islands, especially in view of the fact that the European Union negotiations have not proceeded well in the last three years? Will he also ensure that this subject is high on the agenda at the meeting of the South Atlantic fisheries commission next week, and that it stays on the agenda because it is in the interest of both countries and 740 will do more to promote the economic development of the Falkland Islands than any other issue, according to legislative councillors I have met there?
§ Mr. MacShaneI thank the hon. Gentleman and his two colleagues, my hon. Friends the Members for North Durham (Mr. Jones) and for Motherwell and Wishaw (Mr. Roy), who went to the Falkland Islands recently and expressed the continuing care of the House, the Government and the British people for the safe prosperity and future of the islands. My answer to the hon. Gentleman is simply yes, this is an important issue and it will be discussed next week.