Spanish Fishing Vessels and the Irish Box (Hansard, 7 February 1995)

Earl Howe
My Lords, the Royal Navy's Fishery Protection Squadron currently comprises nine vessels. It mainly operates within British fishery limits, patrolling the waters adjacent to England and Wales and the east of Scotland. Waters off the west coast of Scotland and around Northern Ireland are patrolled by vessels belonging to the Scottish Fisheries Protection Agency and the Department of Agriculture for Northern Ireland.
From 1st January 1996, the United Kingdom will be responsible for monitoring the activities of Spanish vessels in those parts of the Irish Box which fall within British fishery limits and where they will be permitted to fish. We already monitor the activities of other vessels currently permitted to fish in those areas.

§ Viscount Caldecote
My Lords, I thank my noble friend for that encouraging reply. First, does it mean that there will always be at least two vessels within the Irish Box area? Secondly, will the Royal Navy be able to carry out whatever activities it deems necessary unconstrained by any directives from the European Commission?

Earl Howe
My Lords, I am grateful to my noble friend. The Government already spend £26 million a year on fisheries enforcement, of which £14 million is spent on surface surveillance and enforcement at sea. The need for further resources to maintain effective enforcement at sea is currently being assessed. Enforcement is a key issue in making the new arrangements work. We have undertaken to do our part and to ensure even closer co-operation with the Irish. That is what we are setting about doing.

§ Lord Stoddart of Swindon
My Lords, in addition to the spectacle of a British Government paying £28 million a year to destroy British fishermen's jobs in order that Spanish fishermen can have jobs, shall we now have the spectacle of the British Navy protecting the Spanish invading armada to the detriment of British fishermen? Would not Elizabeth I and Sir Francis Drake turn in their graves?

Earl Howe
My Lords, the noble Lord refers to Elizabeth I and Sir Francis Drake. But his memory is rather short. As he well knows, the industry itself has been pressing us to increase the funds available for decommissioning. Noble Lords from all sides of the House pressed me on that point during the passage of the Sea Fish (Conservation Act) 1992. The key point is that, with more decommissioning money and therefore fewer vessels, the remaining fleet will be more competitive. That will help to ensure the long-term 104 efficiency and viability of our industry. It is important that those measures are enforced. We believe that adequate arrangements will be in place to do just that.

§ Lord Wyatt of Weeford
My Lords, is the Minister aware that the Spaniards wrecked their own fishing grounds by cheating on their quotas and propose to do exactly the same in this country? A few Royal Naval vessels will be unable to prevent them. Therefore will he advise the Government to turn a Nelsonian blind eye to the Devon and Cornish fishermen as they seek to sink the larger Spanish ships—which they will succeed in so doing if they are not interfered with?

Earl Howe
My Lords, I share the noble Lord's concern to see the arrangements fairly implemented. There are two important safeguards for effective enforcement. At the December Fisheries Council it was agreed that additional control measures should be adopted for western waters. Those include provisions which will require vessels entering and leaving defined areas, including the Irish Box, to hail in and out to the coastal state as well as to their own flag state. That procedure will enable us to keep track of Spanish fishing activity in our waters. In addition to that, the location of fishing vessels in western waters will be monitored through aerial surveillance. That is a very effective means of identifying what vessels are in a given area at any one time.

§ Viscount Mountgarret
My Lords, is my noble friend at all worried at the thought of one possible scenario: if the Cornish fishermen took action to repel the forthcoming Spanish armada, members of the Royal Navy might be asked to turn on their own countrymen?

Earl Howe
My Lords, we very much hope that that situation will not arise. I do not believe that it will because we have undertaken to ensure that enforcement is adequate. The rules must be implemented fairly for all member states in western waters.

§ Lord Carter
My Lords, the Spanish fleet now has access to parts of the Irish Box and, thanks to swops with France and Belgium, it has access to several new fishing areas. How does that all square with the statement by the Minister of State, Mr. Michael Jack, and his department in October 1993 that Spanish and Portuguese fishing vessels should be confined as closely as possible to their historic fishing patterns and should have no access to the Irish Box?

Earl Howe
My Lords, there are several key points which I welcome the chance to put on the record. Nothing in the agreed deal causes British fishermen to lose quotas. Our fishermen continue to have far more quotas in western waters than the Spanish do. The aggregate catch available to member states in western waters will be no greater from next year than it is at the moment. All that will change is that the Spanish will fish with a part of their fleet over a somewhat wider area than they do at present.

Lord Bruce of Donington
My Lords, the noble Earl spoke of quotas. Is he aware that as regards the United Kingdom there are 52 inspectors available at all the 105 local British ports—they do their job thoroughly—whereas in the case of Spain there are only 12 inspectors who are quartered not at the ports but in Madrid?

Earl Howe
My Lords, the noble Lord is a little out of date. There are 49 inspectors in Madrid and we under-stand that the number will rise to 65. Enforcement in Spain amounts to more than people just sitting in Madrid. It consists of officials from the various regional governments and maritime authorities and coastguards as well.

§ Lord Geddes
My Lords, in his original Answer to my noble friend Lord Caldecote the Minister referred to there being nine vessels available. But am I right in thinking that in his supplementary answer he then alluded to a possible increase in those nine? Can he expand on that?

Earl Howe
My Lords, I cannot expand on that at the moment. We are trying to assess how many more vessels, if any, will be required. We have just under a year in which to do that and I am sure that if we decide that more vessels are required they will be brought in.

§ Lord Cledwyn of Penrhos
My Lords, can the noble Earl say how far south British vessels are allowed to go on the present understanding? Are they allowed to fish in the whole of the Bay of Biscay?

Earl Howe
My Lords, in relation to the Irish Box, UK vessels already have unlimited access, subject to the quotas in each individual area. I should need advice on the Bay of Biscay.