HC Deb 25 July 1978 vol 954 c623W
38. Mr. James Johnson

asked the Secretary of State for Defence if he will give for the latest convenient date the numbers of alien vessels boarded by Her Majesty's Royal Navy while fishing illegally in British territorial waters; how many were towed into harbour: and how many of these were found guilty.

Mr. Duffy

The Royal Navy does not confine its fishery protection duties to the United Kingdom's territorial sea, which is only three miles in breadth. Within the British fishery limits as a whole during the period 1st January 1977 to 14th July 1978, Royal Navy fishery protection vessels boarded 2,192 foreign fishing vessels. Of these, 55 were escorted to port and 50 skippers were subsequently convicted of fishery offences.