§ Mr. OnslowTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what steps his Department has taken, over the past five years, to monitor the activity of purse seine-net fishermen in Scottish waters.
§ Mr. Michael ForsythThere are about 50 vessels in the Scottish fleet which regularly fish using the purse seine method. Because of their high catching capacity all such vessels are carefully monitored while at sea and in port. In 1989, the only year for which data are readily available, there were 109 sightings of purse seine vessels by fisheries protection aircraft and ships and 42 boardings at sea.