Fish Imports (Hansard, 21 April 1993)

§ The Earl of Strathmore and Kinghorne
My Lords, the Community responded to serious market disturbance in February and March by introducing minimum import prices for a range of third-country supplies, effective to 30th June, and stricter control over direct landings by third-country vessels. Some member states suggested more severe measures but the Government consider that the measures taken were an appropriate response given that imports were not the only cause of market disturbance, and that Community processors must import a high proportion of their requirements. A decision should soon be taken on revised terms for the Community quotas which contribute a significant part of the supplies for processors.

Lord Campbell of Croy
My Lords, I am grateful to my noble friend for his Answer. While the concern of fishermen is understandable, will the Government give wide circulation to the facts to help to prevent misguided blockades and the destruction of fish aimed at the wrong targets? I refer to targets such as routine imports to processing plants which do not affect markets and where Britons have been put out of work, and foreign factory ships which provide an important service by providing a market for British-caught mackerel and herring.

§ The Earl of Strathmore and Kinghorne
My Lords, the Government have repeatedly explained the variety of causes for recent market disturbance. This is greatly attributable to cheap third-country imports, but there are other reasons also, such as unco-ordinated surges of fishing effort and consumer preference for cheaper foods such as poultrymeat and pork. The Government and the EC Commission have made a substantial response to the market situation and the Government are fully aware of the needs of processors and catchers. Equally, we totally deplore the misguided blockades and the destruction of fish.

§ Lord Parry
My Lords, does the noble Lord accept that among the reasons which are causing concern for our indigenous fishermen and which have led to troubles at the ports is the belief that exists among them that while our own fishermen are policed closely and observe rigidly the net mesh regulations, other countries (both European and third-world countries) are escaping that vigilance almost entirely?

§ The Earl of Strathmore and Kinghorne
My Lords, I must point out to the noble Lord that those two 1561 issues are unrelated. The total catching effort of Community fishermen can supply only a small proportion of the fish required for processing in this country; for example, about 90 per cent. of the fish required for manufacturing fish fingers must be imported.

§ Lady Saltoun of Abernethy
My Lords, what steps are the Government taking to secure the passage of our fish to French markets and to secure compensation for the exporters where that passage has been impeded by the unlawful use of force by the French?

§ The Earl of Strathmore and Kinghorne
My Lords, the Government's strong and repeated representations finally elicited a very explicit confirmation from French Ministers that all possible measures are being taken to guarantee the specific passage of fish products, especially those from the United Kingdom. That has done much to ensure the effectiveness of the arrangements already set out for notifying details of consignments to the French police so that they can take action.
The noble Lady also asked about compensation. Officials are advising those who have suffered direct loss and damage on the details required by the French authorities to support compensation claims. The department will assist in the construction of claims and will pass them on, via the British embassy in Paris, to the appropriate French regional authorities.

§ Lord Carter
My Lords, does the Minister agree that it is a ludicrous situation when British fishermen have to throw back into the sea large quantities of fish in order to stay within EC rules but then find when they get back to port that their market has been ruined by cheap imports of fish which are similar in size and quality to those that they have been forced to discard?

§ The Earl of Strathmore and Kinghorne
My Lords, on the subject of discards, I should point out that if all fish caught were landed there would be no incentive for fishermen to observe their quotas. The result would be too few fish left to breed future stocks. Similarly, there would be no reason to respect minimum mesh sizes.

§ Lord Carter
My Lords, imported fish which replaces the discards has to be caught somewhere.

§ The Earl of Strathmore and Kinghorne
My Lords, indeed, but we have to respect and preserve our fish stocks in the North Sea.

§ Lord Mackie of Benshie
My Lords, will the noble Earl explain minimum import prices to the House? Does he mean that he will force foreign suppliers to take more money than they are willing to take for the fish they land here?

§ The Earl of Strathmore and Kinghorne
My Lords, it would make no sense to seek substantially to increase the price of fish when one of the fundamental problems is slack consumer demand. It is recognised that not enough is being done in some member states 1562 to enforce the existing minimum import price. The next step must therefore be to enforce the existing price effectively.

§ Lord Stoddart of Swindon
My Lords, in evidence to the Select Committee of another place, officials from the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food forecast that the British fishing industry will decline even further in the next few years. Will the noble Earl confirm that evidence? Under such circumstances, is it not natural that British fishermen are bound to do everything possible to protect their industry, including the calling for bans on foreign fish, however wrong that might be?

§ The Earl of Strathmore and Kinghorne
My Lords, as I have said, the Government and the EC Commission have now made a substantial response to the market situation and are committed to taking further appropriate action where justified, but not all action rests with governments. The fishing industry can phase its efforts better. Catchers and processors should work out how to exploit the available resources rationally.

§ Lord Harmar-Nicholls
My Lords, is my noble friend aware that his subsequent answers do not fit in with the answer he gave to the noble Lord, Lord Parry, about mesh size being irrelevant? The size of the mesh and the stringency in applying it seem to me to be very relevant in view of the answers he has just given.

§ The Earl of Strathmore and Kinghorne
My Lords, if mesh sizes are increased, the size of the fish will similarly have to increase.

§ Lord Parry
My Lords, does the noble Earl agree that the loss of the hake fishing industry off the coast of Britain, a classic example of over-fishing, was brought about in part because in the process of raising an immature hake from its natural water level its balance sacs burst? In Britain we throw the fish back into the sea whereas French ships take home those immature hake in concealed refrigeration plant.

§ The Earl of Strathmore and Kinghorne
My Lords, with the greatest respect to the noble Lord, I believe that I tried to answer that point on discards when I replied to the noble Lord, Lord Carter.