§ 39. Mr. DunnachieTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what is the current number of United Kingdom registered freezer trawlers; what are the fishing grounds within which they operate; and which species they are allowed to catch.
§ Mr. GummerFishing vessels are not required to state their method of operation when registering. However, there are currently five vessels which are licensed by United Kingdom fisheries departments as freezer trawlers; of these, three are licensed for the full range of stocks in Community waters for which the United Kingdom has quotas. The two remaining vessels are licensed for demersal species only. Three of the five vessels also have access to licences which enable them to fish in external waters for species for which the Community has quotas.