§ Mr. David PorterTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make it his policy to press his counterparts in Europe to agree that the Dutch overfishing of 13,000 tonnes of sole in 1990 should be deducted from the 1991 quota allocated to the Netherlands; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. CurryMost member states, including the United Kingdom, fully or overfished their quotas before the Commission closed the North sea sole fishery on 21 December 1990. Latest provisional landings data indicate that the Netherlands has exceeded its quota by fewer than 200 tonnes, not 13,000 tonnes. The Commission has already set in train compensation proceedings because under the common fisheries policy a mechanism already exists whereby member states which overfish at the expense of others are required to provide appropriate compensation to those prejudiced.