§ Mr. McQuarrieasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will now endeavour to lift the prohibition on fishing for herring in the areas lying to the west of 3 deg east in the central North sea during the period from 15 August to 30 September 1984.
§ Mr. MacGregorThe prohibition to which my hon. Friend refers operated in 1983 under Council Regulation (EEC) No. 1353/83 and was based on the latest scientific advice then available. Its purpose was to protect the herring spawning stock in the Central Northern sea. The European Commission will not be putting forward any proposals for herring fishing in the North sea for the second half of 1984 until up to date scientific advice from the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea becomes available. The Commission has asked ICES to include a review of the closed areas in its advice for 1984. We will need to consider the Commission's proposals, when they appear, in the light of the scientific advice then available and all other relevant factors.