§ Dr. Godmanasked the Secretary of State for Scotland what progress has been made in the negotiations with the European Commission concerning the issue of the calibration of refrigerated sea-water tanks on board Community fishing vessels.
§ Mr. John MacKayThe European Commission is aware of the value of having such tanks calibrated for monitoring pelagic fisheries and are in the initial stage of considering the extension of their use. It should be stressed that whether this method is available or not, member states are obliged to check and report the catches of their vessels. The recent introduction of log books and landing declarations is expected to lead to more accurate recording.