HERRING SUBSIDY (UNITED KINGDOM) SCHEME, 1959 (Hansard, 22 July 1959)

§ THE MINISTER OF STATE, SCOTTISH OFFICE (LORD FORBES)
My Lords, with your Lordships' permission I should like to take the two Schemes relating to the herring industry together. The Herring Subsidy Scheme settles the rates of subsidy for the year beginning on 1st September, and in fact provides for the rates at present in force to be continued for another year. We should expect the herring fishermen to receive about £400,000 under this Scheme. This is the fourth Scheme of this kind which your Lordships have been asked to approve. As your Lordships will be aware, the general purpose of (these annual Herring Schemes is the same as that of the corresponding White Fish Subsidy Schemes: and the object of the Government's policy in presenting the Herring Scheme is to continue their efforts to strengthen the herring fleet and, if possible, to encourage a swing back to herring fishing, so as to provide a better and more stable basis for the future of our whole herring industry.
Last year the reduction in the number of British vessels mainly engaged in herring fishing had considerably slowed 386 down, compared with the situation before the introduction of the direct subsidy scheme, and there are now signs of more stability in the strength of the fleet. But we should still like to see more herring boats at work, for there were not enough herring to meet demands last year. Therefore although we are happy to see, from returns made by the fishermen themselves, that the average profits and earnings of the owners and crews alike have, in general, shown an upward trend compared with 1957, we are leaving the subsidy rates unchanged, in the hope that more fishermen with dual-purpose boats may find herring fishing more attractive than white-fish catching.
The weight of the catch fell by 7 per cent. during the past year, compared with 1957 (although the value of the catch increased) and, as I have indicated, the processors went short. That is partly because there were fewer boats engaged in herring fishing and partly because, as your Lordships will be aware, the herring shoals have been very scarce on some traditional grounds in recent years. This is a matter of concern not only to the fishermen, but also to the Government, who are doing what they can through the scientists, working with those of other countries, to find out why the herring have virtually disappeared from some areas. This is a complex matter, and as yet the reasons are not clear.
The picture is not one of unrelieved gloom, however. Off some parts of the coast—particularly Buchan and Shetland —there have been some quite good catches, though in the earlier part of the season the herring were rather small. I am sure that it would be for the advantage of the industry if more boats would turn over to herring fishing. I am hopeful that this Scheme may encourage them to do so. I would, therefore, commend the Scheme for the approval of your Lordships, so that the herring fishermen may be assured of a continuation of subsidy payments after the end of August.
My Lords, I now turn to the remaining Scheme standing in my name. Its purpose is similar to that of the corresponding White Fish Grants (Amendment) Scheme which has just been approved—it increases the maximum amount of grant on new herring vessels from £15,000 to £17,500, and for the same reason. This 387 amount should be fully sufficient to enable the full rate of grant to be paid on the largest type of herring vessel. I commend this Scheme also to your Lordships for approval. I beg to move the first Motion standing in my name.

§ LORD BOOTHBY
My Lords, I apologise for intruding for a brief moment once again, but herrings are, and always have been, the major passion of my life and I could not allow the noble Lord to say anything about them without adding a word. I approve—I do not know whether it will come as a relief to him—of the proposals of Her Majesty's Government; but I should like to express, as he did, my deep apprehension at the sudden absence which has taken place during the past three years of herring from many of the major fishing grounds of the North Sea. It has not happened since the reign of Henry VIII when, by great good fortune, herrings left the Baltic in large numbers and swam over to our coasts, around which they have been swimming ever since—until, that is, two or three years ago, when they began to stop swimming in anything like the quantity that they used to do.
Just when we have managed to get markets in Europe, markets in the Soviet Union and markets everywhere—

VISCOUNT ALEXANDER OF HILLS-BOROUGH
It must be a Communist plot!

§ LORD BOOTHBY
I think it might be —they disappear. There is always something wrong with this industry. When you have a glut and are seeking for markets, the markets are not there. Then, when you get the markets, the herring disappear. It is a most disappointing industry from that point of view. On the other hand, it also makes it very fascinating. But I should just like to say to your Lordships that I am absolutely convinced that, whatever divergent views the scientists may hold, the ruthless fishing of immature herring that has taken place, particularly off the coast of Denmark, during the last three years, 388 and also the relentless trawling of the spawning grounds, the nets dragged right over the spawning fish, especially in the Channel at the latter end of the year, have made a contribution to this extraordinary dearth of herring which we have found in the North Sea, but have not found in the Minch. I am extremely glad that successive Ministers of Agriculture have taken up this matter most energetically through the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea; and in the Report that is now confronting us I find this statement: In 1958, preparations were made for the introduction of a New Convention to replace the International Fisheries Convention of 1946. A feature of the New Convention which was absent from the earlier one is the inclusion of herring among the species which may become the subject of measures of conservation. It used to be thought that herring were so prolific that you could not catch too many of them. I believe that to be untrue. I thank the Government for the energetic measures they are taking, but I should like some assurance, if I may have it, from the noble Lord that they will not let up on this matter; and that they will go on trying to reach an international agreement, with the concurrence of the scientists, for the limitation of herring fishing if it can be shown that the relentless catches of immature fish and trawling is having a deleterious effect upon the industry. If they do that, then I am quite sure that not only this country but every other country—and above all, The Netherlands, which makes a substantial income out of herring—will have cause to be thankful; because if the herring disappear from the North Sea it is not only this country that is going to be sad, but many other countries as well.